2021 CaringKind Alzheimers Walk in Central Park NYC
As many of you may know, Geriatric House Call Dentistry Founder Dr. Alisa Kauffman was the Chair for the 2021 CaringKind Alzhheimers walk that raised over 600k for those who are less fortunate and underserved.
This article includes her speech, along with a special thanks to all who participated and donated towards the cause.
Thank YOU!
Dr. Alisa Kauffmans Speech at the CaringKind Walk for Alzheimer’s
Welcome to the Alzheimer’s Walk for CaringKind 2021!
I am beyond honored and humbled to have been chosen as the Chair for this most amazing event.
I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a dentist. Like many of you, I am also a caregiver.
I chose the path of dentistry, and then specifically chose geriatric house call dentistry to treat those with cognitive issues and the bed-bound frail who can no longer go out to a traditional brick and mortar office. I chose to work on Alzheimer’s patients and shockingly, my practice has grown astronomically due to the growing number of individuals being stricken with this awful disease.
Thank goodness for CaringKind, an organization that works tirelessly to help support caregivers in every way possible. And the best part about this organization is that all the programs are free. The CaringKind team is always available to find the necessary resources such as finding house call services of various types for the home bound. Their many different support groups and educational programs are a godsend for so many.
I really love my job. I love working on patients who would otherwise not get any dental care, those who could needlessly perish from a simple tooth infection. Seniors dealing with dementia deserve so much better than that!
I understand my patient’s needs, I understand their fears, and I try to make it a great experience for all. It takes a lot of patience to work with individuals who are cognitively challenged but doing house calls allows me to work with them in their familiar, comforting environment, and that is way better than trying to have them sit in a dental chair while the dentist struggles to keep to their tight schedule.
When I got the call from Eleonora and Chris from CaringKind asking if I would like to chair the walk, I seriously cried. I asked, “Why me?” They simply said, “Because you are a caregiver.”
Well, I never thought a dentist could also be a caregiver, but I am a caregiver. And I am so darned happy I chose this career path.
I want to thank everyone for coming out today to support CaringKind and for the amazing team who made this day happen. CaringKind believes in the power of caregiving, I believe in the power of caregiving, and every single one of you here today believes in the power of caregiving. Together we can help everyone dealing with dementia get the support they need regardless of who they are, where they are, or when they reach out. That’s the power of caregiving, and that’s the power of love.
Thank you! Let’s get walking!!!
Thank You for an extremely successful event!
After all the challenges of the past year, the new location, and the uncertain weather – you came out to make the CaringKind Alzheimer’s Walk a huge success. Not only did we walk together in honor of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving and those we love, we raised over $630,000 in the process. And that number continues to climb.
There are a lot of people and partners we want to thank:
First, thank you to Alan Patricof and his team members Jamie, Jon, Mark, Amy, and Craig – and their families and friends – who put their efforts behind The Susan Patricof Family Memorial Team. Together, they and their team raised over $157,000 in Susan’s memory. An incredible tribute. If you haven’t read Susan’s story yet, please do so here: https://www.caringkindnyc.org/susanpatricof. Special thanks to Courtney Dawson who helped coordinate these efforts.
Thank you to our Walk Chair, Dr. Alisa Kauffman, whose caregiving career has helped so many people that she easily raised over $20,000 in support of CaringKind.
To David Hyde Pierce: words cannot express our gratitude for your commitment to this cause, your spirit, and your generosity. Thank you.
An incredible gift from Elaine Thomas was instrumental to our success – thank you, Elaine.
Thank you to Jeff Jones and Dan Langlois who raised over $36,000 on Team KPMG. Our own Weijing Shi, Mei-Guey Jan, and the Chinese Outreach Team members raised over $30,000 collectively – an incredible achievement.
Our sponsors are also key to our work – both financially and programmatically. Thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies, Eisai, The Hirsh Family, Greycroft, The Apax Foundation, UFT, Columbia School of Nursing, Columbia Taub Institute, Grimaldi Yeung Law Group, Insperity, The New Jewish Home, First Republic Bank, 305 West End, Inspir Carnegie Hill, Pitta & Baione LLP, 80th Street Residence, MicroEssential Laboratory, MapHabit, and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Congratulations to Matt Golden and his team at MapHabit for receiving the 2021 Community Partner Award.
An event of this magnitude cannot be done without our volunteers. Our thanks to every one of them – especially those who arrived at 5:00am and continued to help even when it was raining.
To Kristine Ortiz and her crew at KLO Events: Nobody does it better. Thank you.
The Blue Angels Drumline will now be a permanent addition to our Walk – we couldn’t have asked for a better way to start and end our Walk!
Thank you to Louise Rogers and Mark Kross for performing “New York, New York” with such great energy. To Roberto Reyes for the best music, Bob Elenowitz for tote bags, and CloSYS for their product donations – you added just the right touch. Thank you!
Candace Douglas, the former Walk coordinator, made a special return to help us with logistics. A true pro. Thank you, Candace!
