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Friday is ‘The Longest Day’ at senior center, for Alzheimer’s awareness

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Alpena Senior Citizens Center has a wide variety of resources available about Alzheimer’s. Above, ASCC Program Manager B.J. Sander, left, and Director Annie Hepburn, pose with the many educational brochures on hand at the center.

Seniors are not the only ones who can benefit from the educational resources available about Alzheimer’s disease.

In honor of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month (June), an event called ‘The Longest Day’ will be held Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

“We want people to come in and help us paint the town purple with purple rocks,” said B.J. Sander, program manager at the center.

“For $5, you can paint a rock and get a forget-me-not cupcake,” Sander said.

The public is welcome to paint the purple and white flower, the forget-me-not, the official flower of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“We here at the senior center are really focusing on helping people with dementia and Alzheimer’s,” said Annie Hepburn, senior center director.

The senior center holds an early-stage Alzheimer’s support group from 1 to 2 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month.

Hepburn and Sander also both went through training to become certified dementia practitioners, to further the education about the disease.

Ways to reduce your risk of cognitive decline include exercising, reading, not smoking, focusing on heart health, preventing head injury, eating healthy, sleeping enough, managing stress and mental health, socializing, and challenging your mind with puzzles, etc.

Also Friday, a bake sale will be held by the center’s bakery, The Bread Basket.

For more information, call the senior center at 989-356-3585.

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