For the fifth year in a row, the Fête de Quartier St Bruno, hosted by the Alzheimer’s Society of Laval, will be back to raise awareness. The much-needed funds raised by the event will help the Alzheimer’s Society of Laval bring care to patients and their families suffering through the effects of this terminal illness.

Lise Lalande, the General Director of the Alzheimer’s Society of Laval, is proud of this annual event and how popular it has become. “It’s a fabulous event. There are so many kiosks with different activities, games. It’s a beautiful, beautiful event,” she explains. “There is something for everyone—kids and adults. It’s such a good way to connect people to their community.”

Jean Rouselle, the Liberal representative of Vimont, also adores this annual event. “This event has become a must and it’s impressive to see how people from all over Laval gather with family or friends to come and celebrate,” Rouselle says. He attends every year and will be there this year as well to help serve food and enjoy the event along with the rest of the community.

This year’s event will be held Saturday, August 10 from 11;30 a.m. to 6;00 p.m. Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy games and activities for the whole family. “There’s good food, the police are there, the firemen. It’s a wonderful community event,” Lalande says. Lalande explains that there is usually a movie in the park following the event, so although the activities are done by 6; 00 p.m., the fun is far from over. The event will be centred around the new community center in the park.

The funds raised at this annual event will go directly to benefitting Laval residents suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families. The Alzheimer’s Society of Laval offers services for patients from A to Z. “We have a helpline so people can call and ask questions. We have four specialized counsellors that meet with patients or their families just to explain to them what the disease is, what to expect and what help they can get, evaluating their needs,” Lalande explains. “We spend hours answering their questions and giving them information. We have seven different respite programs. We have a residence; we have a support group for patients and caregivers as well as training for professionals and caregivers. We will also explain to them which services in Laval are available to them.”

The goal of the annual Fête de Quartier St-Bruno is to raise funds for this disease, as well as to raise awareness about it. “We are involved because it gives us an opportunity to talk to people about Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases,” Lalande says. Although more and more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every year, people are still not completely aware of just how devastating this disease can actually be. Lalande says many people still think of it as memory loss, when in reality, it is a much deeper issue. In addition to memory loss, patients will gradually lose autonomy and become unable to care for themselves, go to the bathroom on their own or even eat on their own.

Alzheimer’s is a disease with no cure. Events like the Fête de Quartier St-Bruno help give organizations, like the Alzheimer’s Society of Laval, the funds needed to offer as much care as possible to patients, their caregivers and their families.

“Our biggest challenge is to raise money to pay for respite care because it is an enormous project. We give nearly 75,000 hours of respite care per year,” Lalande says. “The money from the event goes directly there.”

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy the outdoors with your friends and family, don’t miss the Fête de Quartier St-Bruno this summer. For more information on the event or about the Alzheimer’s Society of Laval and its services, please visit alzheimerlaval.org.