Yesterday, was day 2 of Georgia. It started out a little crazy... Long story short, we got the wrong paperwork and showed up an hour late to a session. Oops! We were forgiven though and our day kept going. Mom and I were in meetings until around 4pm yesterday. Then after there was a banquet, were I would represent the Brainerd Lakes Area Walk to End Alzheimer's! They asked me to walk in as the Brainerd representative. The Brainerd Walk recieved "Star" status, which basically means the national Alzheimer's Association is recognizing our growth and hard work. It was an honor to represent the Brainerd Lakes Area! Right when I walked into the banquet doors, I was blown away. The ballroom that it was held in was absolutely HUGE and it was so cool because they had spot lights, purple lights and decorations everywhere. Purple is the national Alzheimer's color.
Prior to our dinner, there was a special program. Highlights of this program included hearing Harry Johns, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer's Association. This was the first time I had ever heard him speak, and I was blown away. He spoke with no notes. He did not stand behind the podium, and not once did he stop or hesitate. You could just tell he was speaking from the heart! It was amazing.
President of the Alzheimer's Association.
After Harry's speech, there was a special announcement. The President of TJX Company (TJ Maxx and Marshalls) surprised all of us in the room by donating $1 million to the Alzheimer's Assocation!! It was an incredible thing to experience. The feeling in the room changed instantly, it brought us all closer together!
President of TJX
To add to all of the excitment, we had another guest speaker... David Hyde Pierce from Frasier! His grandpa passed away from Alzheimer's and his grandma passed away from caring for his grandpa. He has and will continue to do so many things with the Alzheimer's Association. I walked away inspired by the work he has done and the strides he has taken to support the cause.
So the end of day 2 came, and as I reflect back on that night, I can't believe it even happened. Not many people have had the opportunities that I have been presented with. When thinking of the 500 people here with me at this conference, I feel at ease. I have something in common with every single one of these people. We all have a passion for Alzheimer's and won't stop fighting until there is a cure!
So today is day 3 :) I can't believe I leave tomorrow. It has been one unbelievable journey. I wish it wouldn't end, but all things must end. I'm thankful for this journey, for everyone who made it possible, and for everyone I have met along the way. I couldn't have asked for a better experience!
Day 3 started out early, with breakfast at 7am. Then we had one big group session, that got my really excited for our Brainerd Walk! Mom and I both got so many ideas. We share the Head Chair position on the Walk committee, and I couldn't be more excited. There will be some really great things coming up in the next few months, so stay tuned :)
After the group session,we had breakout sessions, then lunch. Mom and I decided we would do a little sight seeing :) First we headed to the CNN Center. Atlanta is home to many things, including the CNN TV Station! We took a tour and got a lot of background info on CNN and the building.
After CNN, we headed over to the Georgia Aquarium. Did you know it is the largest in the world? Yes! It was really great to see the huge diversity of animals that they have there.
After CNN and the Aquarium, we walked across the street to the Coca-Cola Museum. Not only is Atlanta home to CNN and the World's Largest Aquarium, but it is also the home of Coca-Cola! The museum was really interesting! We got to see how they to bottled the Coke and a lot of the history behind the Coke logo. At the end of the museum, they had different flavors of Coke products from all over the world! My personal favorite was Inca Cola from Peru and Peach Iced Tea from the UK :) There was one flavor called Beverly that tasted like baby asprin! It was gross!
Bailey
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