OAKLAND — Dave Arnold is a rare chestnut in the community. He retired from the U.S. Navy, Army National Guard, Air National Guard and is also retired from the state of Maryland, having served as a police officer.
It’s probably more likely you know him as “Coach” on the lacrosse field, or the guy that builds the sets for Our Town Theatre.
He’s received a Maryland governor’s citation, and Volunteer of the Year from OTT; probably for building all those sets.
Yup, Dave is a heck of a guy, and he’s the Pop Pop in Pop Pop’s Path. But, Dave isn’t rare when it comes to having Alzheimer's; he’s just one of 55 million worldwide.
The idea for Pop Pop’s Path came from Dave’s granddaughter Maddy Virts. She was working on a school project and wanted to raise funds for and awareness of the disease.
“The Path symbolizes the journey of Alzheimer’s,” Dave explains. “Of course you want the path to be as long as possible, but it ends with dementia. So, for those with Alzheimer’s, it’s all about the journey.”
I learned from Dave that too often the costs of medications aren’t covered by Medicare. Also, families can struggle to pay for additional needs, “like diapers.” Dave says, “Pop Pop’s Path will help pay for those.” This is the biggest difference between Pop Pop’s Path and other organizations that focus only on research.
“Pop Pop’s Path funds go straight to families,” Dave brags.
On June 23, Our Town Theatre is hosting a fundraising event for Pop Pop’s Path called “A Penny For Their Thoughts,” an evening of poetry reading, music and a one-act play by Barry Weinberg. The free show starts at 7 p.m. and all donations benefit Pop Pop’s Path.
On June 24, Pop Pop’s Path is sponsoring a Walk For Alzheimers in the Oakland Town Parking lot at 3 p.m. You are encouraged to buy tickets at the event or you can visit poppopspath.org for more information.
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