SYLVANIA, Ohio — The Alzheimer's Association has "The Longest Day" each year on the summer solstice— marked by the day with the most daylight. To fight the darkness of the disease, people from across the world hold a variety of fundraisers.
After losing his dad to Alzheimer's disease, Chris Heerdegen from Ottawa Lake is participating in The Longest Day to make sure the same thing won't happen to him.
For a third year, he's hosting Rowing to Remember.
"Our plan is to row for 16 hours, so at the top of each hour we set monitors on the rowing machine to 7,200 meters then we get it done in about 35 to 40 minutes," said Heerdegen.
By the end of the day, Heerdegen and other participants will have rowed 72 miles, which is nearly 3 marathons. He said 72 miles comes from his dad who passed away when he was 72.
Heerdegen recalled, "I said I'll do 7,200 meters every hour and then I multiplied that by 16 and it came to be 115,200 meters. Then you divide that by 1,600 meters in a mile, it was exactly 72. So after a quick glance up and a quick glance down, I said, really, this is the number?"
In recent weeks, we've seen the FDA approve the first Alzheimer's drug in 20 years.
While Heerdegen says it's not perfect, it's not for everyone and it's expensive, "We've seen what throwing money and research at something can do with what happened with COVID. So I'm hoping that maybe we can get some energy, raise some more money for the Alzheimer's Association so they can find some more treatments and then maybe someday find a cure."
Brad Stevens is participating because he says Heerdegen's dad was kind of like a dad to him at times.
"Just to know what he went through and just how difficult it is. But they're making impacts by what they're doing so I'm all behind that and behind him 100%," said Stevens.
Heerdegen says he's going to keep doing this rowing event until he's 72. "I'm doing it for him, and my grandpa, and his brother and my uncle. But he's gotta be looking down going 'wow, my son put this on and he's not going to give up.'"
You can donate to Rowing To Remember through the end of June at this link.