LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball has announced its upcoming Alzheimer's Awareness Game against Wofford on Saturday, April 4, at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.
The Keydets will host SoCon foe Wofford in the series finale, but VMI will be playing for something bigger than baseball: the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Leading the movement has been junior
Bradley Garner, who started the cause and fundraiser for his family and his father, who passed away due to early-onset Alzheimer's when Bradley was a child. Bradley and his sister, Frankie, were just five and eight years old when their father was diagnosed. Since his passing, the Garner Family has become deeply involved with the Alzheimer's Association, especially in Advocacy and Public Policy.
"This game means everything because it shows that the VMI community is supporting me and my family," says Bradley.
Alzheimer's disease most commonly affects older adults, but it can also affect people in their 30s or 40s. When Alzheimer's disease happens in someone younger than age 65, it's known as early-onset or "Younger Onset" Alzheimer's. A very small number of people with Alzheimer's have the early-onset form, but it is genetic. There is no cure for Alzheimer's yet, but the Garner's fundraiser will help solve that.
To help bring awareness and raise donations, VMI will be hosting the Alzheimer's Awareness Game in support of the Garner Family. Fans are encouraged to wear purple to the game to show support. Frankie will throw out the honorary first pitch before the game.
But the efforts don't stop on the field. On April 20, Bradley and Frankie will be running in the 130
th Boston Marathon together, "in tribute to our dad and his courageous battle with Younger Onset Alzheimer's, and to help carry forward his dream of finding a cure."
"Running 26.2 miles is a challenge, but it pales in comparison to the daily battle faced by those living with Alzheimer's," says Bradley. "Every mile I log and every dollar we raise through Team End ALZ brings us one step closer to a world without this disease."
"We are proud to use our April 4 game against Wofford to raise awareness for Alzheimer's and to support Bradley as he runs the Boston Marathon in memory of his father," says VMI Baseball Head Coach
Sam Roberts. "Bradley is representing his family, our program, and a cause bigger than baseball. Moments like these remind us that what we do can have an impact far beyond baseball."
To support Bradley and Frankie and learn more about their story, visit their
website.
