Family fundraising

One of the wonderful things about Great Connections is the way they can grow and change over time. What began as an offering of support to a grandmother with breast cancer has continued for many years and been transformed into a family effort to fundraise for Alzheimer’s research. Not only does Team Jane raise money to support their grandmother who lives at Monarch Hall on the grounds of Parkland Riverview, but the funds they collect go back out into the community to help others living with the disease.

Here is the story of Team Jane in the words of Jane’s granddaughter Sara.

For the past 11 years, my siblings and I have been participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure in support of my grandmother Jane Eaton, a breast cancer survivor. Over the years, we have collectively raised thousands of dollars to go towards this cause. We believe that it is important to not only show our support for the cause and our Grammy, but also work towards finding a cure.

Since our Grammy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013, our focus has shifted. When my younger sister Katie and I heard about the Walk for Alzheimer’s, we knew it was something we wanted to participate in. We wanted the opportunity to get together as a family in support of our grandmother and, like the Run for a Cure, have an opportunity to financially support a cause so dear to our hearts.

This year, Team Jane collectively raised $1,395. With five founding members, Team Jane is only in its first of what we hope will be many years participating in this walk. My parents Shannon and Mike walked alongside me, my sister Katie and our grandfather Bob. Our grandparents both used to live in Royal Court [Parkland Riverview, New Brunswick]. Bob still lives there and Jane is now at Monarch Hall. We are already thinking about the walk next year, and hope to have even more of the family join us and top our current fundraising efforts.