Basketball Classic Raises $24k for Alzheimer's Association

The , held at in Patchogue on Saturday, brought out people whose families have struggled with Alzheimer's disease.

"Dealing with Alzheimer's is like watching somebody die twice because they forget you and then you have to watch them die," Rick Hartmann, of Sayville, said. Hartmann's grandmother struggled with the disease for over a decade.

According to WebMd, Alzheimer's disease is condition in which nerve cells in the brain die, leading to symptoms that include impaired memory, disorientation and personality changes among others.

Players for the game were chosen from throughout Long Island to compete in a Suffolk vs. Nassau game that went to Suffolk, 103-80. For P.J. Page, Suffolk's forward who scored 10 points in the game, playing at the event was a personal victory in honor of his grandmother who died of the disease.

"It makes me feel good to be able to play for her," said Page.

The game was the brainchild of Gordon Thomas, a former professional basketball player now the Director of Marketing for Nesconset Center for Nursing and Rehab and Huntington Village Rehab and Nursing Center. After the passing of his own father from the disease in July, Thomas decided to mobilize a local effort with a team of long-time advocates. The event raised $24,000 from sponsorships and donations fundraised over one month with a $12,000 profit that will go toward the Alzheimer's Assocation of Long Island said Thomas.

The number of people affected by the disease is staggering, according to Mary-Ann Malack-Ragona, CEO of the Alzheimer's Association of Long Island.

Nationwide, about 53 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's and 200,000 are under age 65. Potentially, one in eight of the country's 77 million baby boomer population is at risk of Alzheimer's.

"Eventually, many of the kids are going to deal with this at some point," said Malack-Ragona. She currently has 48 clients in Long Island of people under age 65, her youngest a 43-year-old woman.

Teaming young players with a cause associated with the elderly is an attempt to bridge the gap between age and awareness to the disease. The idea garnered support from local elected officials including Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko, who was the jump ball honorary coach, and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R,C,I-Smithtown). Both played basketball in high school.

"There are a lot of basketball junkies," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a somewhat different approach but it has great potential." The cause "is what binds everyone together," Lesko said.

The game also spotlighted the players by presenting them with trophies and an appearance by a scouting assistant for the LA Lakers.

Organizers are already discussing holding next year's tournament in Nassau County. More information about donations and services to alzheimer's is available at www.alz.org/longisland or by calling the Alzheimer's Association Long Island chapter at 1-800-272-3900.