David Horovitz, Editor in Chief of the Jerusalem Post accepted the "Journal of the Year" award on behalf of the newspaper at the opening ceremony of the 6th Melabev "Don't Forget Us" Walkathon. As Harvey Chesterman, who chairs the Walkathon committee along with Bonnie Segal and Nancy Brown explains, "The award marks the Jerusalem Post's continued in-depth and penetrating reporting on research and developments in the field of aging".
The Friends of Melabev, headed off on their annual walkathon: Walking for Alzheimer's Care. The goal of the Friends is to raise funds and public awareness of the devastations of Alzheimer's and related disorder - and increase visibility of Melabev's award-winning methods of treatment. They succeeded with references in Torah Tidbits, and articles in Connections Magazine, Voices, the In Jerusalem section of the Jerusalem Post and the main news section. Motti Zelikovitch, director-general of Melabev, appeared on Galei Zahal and on Arutz 7 in Hebrew, and Harvey Chesterman on Arutz 7 in English. Fran Alpert represented the Friends in a TV interview on IBA English news. News of the Walkathon also appeared on several community e-mail lists.
Dr. Avrum Rottman inspired the walkers on their way to the first segment of the Walk. He spoke personally, as a family member of a participant - and as a physician experienced with our aging population who foresees the need for Melabev's benefits increasing.
Melabev provides a range of services for the memory impaired and offers guidance and support for their family members. In the Melabev day centers innovative therapeutic activities are led by a dedicated crew of professionals and volunteers. These activities, which are social and individual, increase the self-esteem, alertness and well-being of people with Alzheimer's symptoms.
The cost for each day of care in a Melabev center, however, is more than the families of these senior citizens can pay. Therefore the Friends of Melabev hold an annual Walkathon! They decided to do so in the face of this year of economic upheaval. The proceeds are running somewhat less than in the past, though we hope that in the coming days and weeks, our loyal sponsors and donors will help us reach our goal, of $100,000.
The Walkers traveled from Jerusalem to Hof Dor to begin their walk on the coast of the Mediterranean, between the sand dunes by the light of the mid-Kislev full moon, complete with a musical interlude of percussion instruments and the performance of a fire-dancer. Over 120 people of all ages; from teenagers to octogenarians participated in this year's Moonlight Walk.
Bright and early the next morning, a hardy contingent set out for two days of hiking through the western Galilee. They trekked along Nahal Achziv and traversed the green hills that are watered by the various rivulets in the area.Their trail led past Montfort Castle and Sarach Cave, a stalactite cave of impressive proportions.
Each hiker pays a registration fee towards their own expenses and in addition commits to raising sponsorship funds, to ensure that more families can send their loved ones to a Melabev center.
Walking is a recommended exercise for staving off dementia. It benefits the body and the soul – especially in the company of good-hearted people, as Harvey Chesterman emphasized in his talk - and when it's for a worthy cause of helping Alzheimer's patients.
For a list of the walkers click on Friends of Melabev If you wish to sponsor a walker, it's not too late. Call: 02-655-5826, or click on the "Donate" button below. And contact us by e-mail to say you would like advance information for next year's Walk: melabev-org@bezeqint.net
