Alzheimer's group holds vigil at Mount

About 100 people raised candles to honor the living and remember those claimed by the disease, according to Cathy Hanson, a social worker and program coordinator at the Western Maryland Regional Office in Frederick.

Participants also held a 71-second moment of silence.

"Every 71 seconds someone new in this country is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease," Hanson said.

Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death, ahead of diabetes, she added, and will only get worse as the baby boomer generation ages.

One out of every eight baby boomers "will develop this disease," she said. About 5.2 million people die from it annually.

Speakers at the vigil included Brian Sclar, Kathy Schey, Bill Bugg and Charles Finley.

Sclar spoke about the difficult decisions his family faced when his father, Abraham, developed the disease. Finley spoke about his "young-onset dementia," and Schey described caring for her parents, who both suffered from the disease. Bugg authored the book, "Soaring Above Adversity," which describes his travails in caring for his Alzheimer's-stricken wife for 18 years.

"It's very difficult on the family members who are watching this decline," Hanson said, adding that the decline is "irreversible."

The Alzheimer's Association wants to cure the disease, and funds research to that end. Seeking medical attention early is essential, she added.

"It's OK to lose your car keys a few times, but when you forget what the car keys are for, [you have reached the mid-point of the Alzheimer's decline], Hanson said. Telltale signs include calling things by the wrong names, forgetting how to make favorite meals or forgetting how to play well-known card games.

The Alzheimer's Association's Western Maryland Regional Office is located at 108 Byte Drive, Suite 103, in Frederick. It offers programs and education for victims and caregivers. Call the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-443-CARE.

"We're here to help," Hanson said.

For more information, go to www.alz.org.

Benefit held in Woodsboro for Walkersville native

The Jeremy Foundation last month held a basket bingo in Woodsboro to raise money for the Daniel Mack Fund.

The fund benefits Daniel Mack, 43, of Stevensville. Mack graduated from Walkersville High School in 1983, where he captained the varsity football team, according to his friend, Jonathan Barrett.

Mack was diagnosed in February with acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML. AML is the most common type of leukemia, with more than 11,000 new cases every year in the United States, according to the National Marrow Donor Program's Web site.

Mack is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant this month, according to the press release. In the meantime, he is unable to work because of his disease.

According to Barrett, Mack was a tri-athlete before cancer, and hopes to continue training again.

The Ijamsville-based nonprofit provides financial assistance to families with members who have cancer. The Jeremy Foundation was founded by Dianne Ryan in 2003, according to its Web site. A 5K benefit is planned for October in Mount Airy.

For more information, go to www.ironman.org.

Emmitsburg Food Bank

schedules giveaways

The Emmitsburg Food Bank and its partners will be giving food away on Wednesday and again on Sept. 17.

The food bank shares a building with the Catoctin Pregnancy Center at 502 E. Main St., in Emmitsburg. Food bank volunteers will be giving away food from 4-8 p.m., on the above listed dates. Each household will be able to receive 20 pounds of food, regardless of income.

For more information, call 717-642-6963.

Tranquility Farm

hosts rescue class

Tranquility Farm Equestrian Education and Renewal Center will host a large animal rescue training class on its 30-acre Thurmont farm from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sept. 6, according to a press release from the farm.

Officials from Days End Farm's large animal rescue team will teach the class, which costs $50 per person. The price includes lunch.

Tranquility Farm is located at 11819 Whates Lane. For more information, call 301-271-3400 or go to www.tranquilityfarmequestrian.com.

Do you have an item for North County Notes? Contact reporter Jeremy Hauck at 301-846-2127, e-mail jhauck@

gazette.net or fax news to 301-846-2124.