Kensico Cemetery raises more than $48,000 to fight Alzheimer's

VALHALLA — Kensico Cemetery raised $48,430 through its sixth Annual 5K Run/Walk held on Sunday, Oct. 31, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. This was the highest amount the fall event has ever raised, placing the Kensico Cemetery 5K Run/Walk among the top three Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day fundraising events nationally.

“We are most grateful to the neighboring businesses who have supported us from the beginning by being event sponsors across four levels ranging from $500 to $5,000,” said Kensico Cemetery President Matthew G. Parisi. “Six vendors joined us when we first partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association in 2016. This year, we had 31 community leaders on board, contributing $38,000 in total — a terrific sign of philanthropic support by local businesses —particularly during these uncertain times.”

With more than 150 people participating on race day, the balance in the 2021 fundraising total came from online registration fees, individual contributions, raffle ticket sales and walk-in registrations.

Longest Day Event Manager Lauren Voorhees expressed gratitude for the partnership with Kensico.

“It’s an honor and deeply humbling experience to work alongside the fine folks at Kensico Cemetery,” she said. “Our partnership is unique, and I remain grateful to them for their ongoing support.”

“We are both in the memory-keeping business, so it has been important to each of our organizations to create a memorable experience for our 5K Run/Walk participants while honoring those affected by this disease,” said Judy Mitchell, Kensico Cemetery’s public relations consultant.

Last year, the in-person event at the cemetery was not held due to COVID-19, but Kensico appealed to previous event sponsors and was able to raise more than $41,000, reaching its long-term goal of raising $150,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association in the first five years of the event.

Money raised by the 5K Run/Walk will go to The Longest Day, an Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser that encourages participants to create their own events to raise money. The event is named in honor of the long days spent by dementia caregivers caring for their loved ones. Efforts are celebrated on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Learn more about The Longest Day at alz.org/tld.

About the Hudson Valley Chapter

The Hudson Valley Chapter serves families living with dementia in seven counties in New York, including Duchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. To learn more about the programs and services offered locally, visit alz.org/hudsonvalley.

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection and maximizing quality care and support. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all dementia. Visit alz.org

About Kensico Cemetery

Kensico Cemetery is a nonprofit membership organization that was established in 1889 to provide burial options for families in the New York metropolitan area.