Over 200 people gathered at Marco Island’s Veteran’s Park recently to celebrate, honor, and support two vital organizations. “Remember Paradise” and “MyMemoryWorx,”who joined together to raise funds to aid in dementia awareness and care. 

Isn’t it funny how we can’t remember what we had for dinner last night, but we can sing, word for word, the lyrics and melodies of the songs of our youth? Music can be a potent way to stimulate both feelings and memories from all stages of our lives. Even more powerful than the memories evoked from a scent or the taste of food, music has the ability to transport us instantly to other places and times, helping people with dementia reconnect with their past.

Part 3 of a 3-part series

Thanks to the generosity of Bob and Kelly Willenborg, of both Effingham, Illinois and Marco Island, the YMCA of Collier County South Campus is the only organization in Southwest Florida that has a one-of-a-kind SMARTfit Gamification program. It provides brain health training to specifically engage various parts of the human brain, especially for seniors or adults who may have declining cognitive, physical movement, or balance issues.

Part 2 of a 3-part series

As discussed in last week’s Part 1 of this Coastal Breeze News series, the SMARTfit Gamification program, donated to the Marco YMCA, now known as the “YMCA of Collier County South Campus,” by Bob and Kelly Willenborg through Kelly’s MyMemoryWorx Foundation, is a positive, one-of-a-kind program that provides brain training to specifically engage multiple parts of the human brain, especially for seniors. 

Part 1 of a 3-part series

Let’s face it. Aging is inevitable. But how we age, how we proactively work to slow down the changes in our thinking processes, attention spans, ability to focus, even in our physical balance, strength, and overall well-being, has become a scientific approach to aging that has flourished over the past few years.

At Dan Hecht Chevrolet Toyota, we believe in the power of giving back to our community. We are proud to support the Effingham Public Library and their wonderful program, Club Maverick, which provides a space for individuals facing cognitive impairments, such as Dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, along with their care partners.