Cyclathon nets $36,000 for Laval Alzheimer’s Society

By Robert Frank, September 26th, 2012

Twenty-eight cyclists collectively pedaled 2,660 km along the P’tit train du nord bike trail through stunning autumn scenery, Sept. 22-23, to raise money for Laval Alzheimer’s disease victims and their families.
“It was a tremendous success,” enthused Laval Alzheimer’s Society development director Michelle Bolduc. “The cyclists remained in high spirits throughout, despite inclement weather.”
Together, they raised nearly $36,000 to help provide services that will help Laval residents who are stricken with Alzheimers -- and their families.
“For every person with the disease, there are ten people who are affected by it,” Bolduc reminded The Suburban during an interview, “because it is very difficult for the family.”
“It is very, very hard for the spouse and children, as well as family and friends,” she explained. “We are there to provide the support that they need but, to do so, we need money.
“In Laval alone, there are 5,500 people over 65 with Alzheimers,” she said. “We get a government subsidy, but it’s for half our budget, so we have to raise the rest of the funds from the public. We charge nominal fees for our services, but we keep them low for the families, and some of them are free.”
With the 2011 census showing that Laval’s population is aging rapidly, that number is likely to grow.
“We know that there are a lot of people under 55 who are also affected by the disease,” she said.
Bolduc is keen to reach out to Laval’s Anglophone community which, she said, doesn’t draw upon Laval Alzheimer’s Society services anywhere near as much as it could. She plans to have the alzheimerlaval.org web site translated into English in 2013, “but English-speakers shouldn’t hesitate to call us right away if they need help.”
“There is always someone here who can help someone in English, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Italian, plus our receptionist can speak Arabic.
“We provide animation and respite services,” Bolduc said, “as well as training for families, to help them cope.”n