Joining the fight against Alzheimer's disease, the Levittown Kiwanis Club sponsored a bowl-a-thon on Sunday, May 18 in order to help benefit the Yours, Ours, Mine (YOM) Community Center's Alzheimer's Program and the New York State Kiwanis Governors project. The club helped to raise approximately $3,800.

Forty bowlers and 20 onlookers attended the event, which took place at South Levittown Lanes, in the hopes of assisting the organizations in the battle against Alzheimer's. There was a fee of $15 per bowler that included three games, shoe rental, food and soft drinks.

"We came to help support the cause," said VWF members Rose Rella and Flo Spicer, whose Levittown Post 9529 got a $100 sponsor for two alleys. "[YOM] does a lot for the community and we just wanted to help out."

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray presented Mauro Cassano, president of the Levittown Kiwanis Club, with a citation congratulating them on a job well done. "This is a great charity for Levittown," she said. "The Kiwanis Club really does a good job around the community."

Cassano said that the overall event was a great success. "I was very pleased to have the town supervisor come down to the bowling alley to give her support and recognition for everyone's efforts," he said. "We were trying to help the adult day care center, which provides a valuable service and provides a safe environment. We are trying to help that aspect, along with the whole idea of Alzheimer's."

YOM is a not-for-profit, multifaceted human resources organization that provides a wide range of human services to both youths and adults. These services include childcare, family life, youth development, chemical dependency, a senior program, an adult day care program, a summer childcare program and computer workshops. The purpose of the community center is to improve the quality of life for residents living in the Levittown and surrounding communities.

"We were very pleased with the outcome of the event," said Louise Cassano, a chair on YOM's Board of Trustees. "This is the first time that we have had such an event and the community really pulled together for such a worthy cause."

YOM is governed by a voluntary board of trustees who are responsible for obtaining and providing financial resources to support the programs and services, which they have elected to provide to the community.

President and CEO of YOM, James Edmondson, said that the organization is in its 39th year, as it was organized in 1964. "With a staff of 91 people, our organization provides opportunity for working parents," he said.

With enormous cutbacks for YOM, including about $300,000 from January until now, the organization needs money to support their programs. The Alzheimer's Association programs and services are also being threatened. The state funding is in jeopardy of being cut, said Mary Ann Ragona, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association for the Long Island Chapter.

"The next two years are looking dismal, so our hope is to raise money with this event," she said. "I want to give [the bowlers] a moral boost and encouragement and I hope that they raise a lot of money for the organizations."

Several other groups that participated in the bowl-a-thon included members of the Levittown Fire Department, American Legion Post 1711, Levittown Youth Council and Key Club students from the G.R. Claps Career and Technical Center and General Douglas MacArthur High School.

American Legion Post 1711 member, Andy Booth, said that it is great when the entire community gets together. "Everyone here does a good job," he said. "We are the only town in New York State that does this much for their community and I challenge any community to do what we do."

The Alzheimer's Association's mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research and to enhance care and support for individuals, families and caregivers. To help overcome this, the association offers five services to the community, including Care and Consultation, Information and Referral, Education, Safe Return and Support Groups and Advocacy. Ragona said that the support groups represent both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, servicing over 50,000 individuals who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

"It is estimated that 14 million of today's baby boomers will have Alzheimer's disease," Ragona said. "The annual cost of the disease will reach at least $375 billion, overwhelming our health care system. To protect the baby boomers, we have to find a way to stop the disease, while there is still time to prevent it."

Residents can contact the Alzheimer's Association at 935-1033. Those who are interested in YOM can contact them at 796-6633.