Today is my Grandfather’s 89th Birthday.

(He’s on the wall on the right.)

My Grandfather is a United States Marine. He is a Veteran of World War II and served 27 months in the Pacific Theatre.

He was a master plumber. He served in the public sector as a Selectman and as a State Representative for the Town of Braintree, where I grew up.
(Pictured below with Andy Card.)

He has been married for 65 years.

He has 10 children.

He has 24 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

My Grandfather also suffers from Alzheimer’s. He was diagnosed in 2005. As someone who is close to it, I can assure you that Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease. My Father, who is my Grandfather’s primary caretaker, has done an incredible job in educating his family, his friends and beyond about this disease. He has also put a great deal of effort into fundraising for Alzheimer’s research – including forming Team Braintree for the Memory Ride. This will be Team Braintree’s second year participating in this ride and we want to break our fundraising record for this very worth cause.

In the United States alone, an estimated 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and someone develops the disease every 69 seconds. Unless something is done, as many as 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s by the year 2050. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented or cured.

As a birthday gift to my Grandfather, I would love, appreciate and thank you immensely if you could help me, my father, my sister, and all the other team members of Team Braintree make a difference by supporting us and the Memory Ride. You should know that 90% of money raised by Memory Ride participants goes directly to Alzheimer’s research grant programs and 10% of the proceeds help fund programs and services that assist families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

I am hoping you are in a financial position to make a donation to help this worthy cause. Please click here to donate directly to me or make a general team donation here.

Happy Birthday, Grampy. I love you and I’ll see you tonight.

Semper Fi!

Dinner with Areeg

Dinner with Kiley

But next time I’ll be sure to wear appropriate footwear.

At my friend Areeg’s birthday party. This turned into a night of epic proportions.

Impossibly annoying to remove, but add a delightful sparkle to my work day.