MDR Island Country Club Gala

Three weeks ago, on March 4, Marco Dementia Respite (MDR) held a fundraising gala at Hideaway Beach Club. Sunday night, the group was back at it, throwing a second gala event, this time at the Island Country Club (ICC). 

It makes sense, said MDR Executive Director and Cofounder Denise Rose. 

“We had a very different group and wanted to reach more people. The Island Country Club ballroom holds more people than the room at Hideaway” – and only about 10 percent of those at ICC had also attended the Hideaway affair, she said. 

Serving Marco Island and nearby communities along the 951 corridor, MDR reaches out to those in need in a variety of ways. As the population of this country, and even more so this county and this island, continues to age, there are few diagnoses more feared, more devastating than that of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease and other related forms of dementia are cruel both to patients and caregivers, robbing victims of their memories, their mental capacity and eventually their lives, while leaving family members exhausting themselves caring for a loved one who has become a stranger, does not remember them, and eventually becomes entirely unable to care for him or herself.

In just two years, MDR has tapped into a need and seen rapid growth in its mission, to the point where it was outgrowing the space that had been provided at the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church parish hall. While MDR is grateful to St. Mark’s, the church’s own programs made it impossible for MDR to offer more than two days a week. 

MDR board chair and cofounder Tim Rose addressed the group on Sunday night with the same message he delivered earlier in the month at Hideaway, sharing the organization’s dilemma, and the solution they had found.

“We never knew how big MDR would get,” he told them. “We have seen a tremendous growth spurt in the last several months. We are at capacity. We have to go out and look for a permanent home for MDR.” 

The good news, Rose told the assemblage, is “we found one” – no small feat on Marco Island, where space is tight. MDR will continue to hold its sessions at St. Mark’s through roughly September of 2025, and then move into 2,800 square feet at the newly expanded NCH campus at the corner of Bald Eagle and San Marco. 

The space is being built out to MDR’s custom specifications, with assistance from Frank Catalano, said Tim Rose. The improvements, expected to cost approximately $300,000, will include program, activity, and meeting rooms for caregivers and “clients,” the dementia patients, a kitchen and lunchroom, offices for program director Stephanie Bean and for neuro-psychologist Dr. Paul Nussbaum, who works with MDR. 

“It has all the services we need, under one roof, with tons of storage,” said Tim. The gathering at ICC also heard from caregiver Ben Farnworth, who said that, while “generally, you don’t sign up for a caregiver job, you become one because of circumstances,” it has been “one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.

“Our job is to make life better in very difficult circumstances,” while realizing the caregiver will not be able to reverse the underlying condition. And he warned, “Caregivers often forget to take care of themselves” – which is where the “respite” part of MDR’s mission comes in. 

After a turkey dinner, plus ham and salmon, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry relish – sort of Thanksgiving in the spring – the assemblage got down to the serious business of raising funds to support MDR’s programs. Auctioneer Jay Zeager took bids on lots, including wine dinners, a “dream day” for Cubs fans in Chicago, and a spa package at Woodloch Resort in Pennsylvania, along with an “auction of the heart” for cash donations and the raffling off of a $3,200 diamond bracelet donated by Kathein Jewelers.

Then the only order of business was boogying to the smooth vocal stylings of the Atlantic City Boys, a quartet who channeled the hits and spirit of Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons, the Bee Gees, various members of the Rat Pack, and the Beach Boys. 

Marco Dementia Respite is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization. For more information or to make a donation, go online to www.marcodementiarespite.org.