Greenville will go purple again for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
GREENVILLE — Greenville will symbolically change its name to a different color to mark Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June. The community will be known as “Purpleville” from June 23 to 25 to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease.
The select board approved a resolution supporting Purpleville — the signature color of the Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness movement — during a March 1 meeting.
“Our big purple dream will be coming back to Greenville in 2023,” organizer Katie Luce said while calling in to the session from her new home in Connecticut. Luce said she plans to return to the Moosehead Lake Region for the 2023 Purpleville events.
Purpleville 2022 raised more than $14,000 for Pine Tree Hospice and the Jackson Lab Alzheimer’s Research Center.
“The money this year will benefit the same two organizations it did last year,” Luce said. “This year we are excited to put the things we learned last year into practice.”
She said in 2022 Purpleville featured a benefit kickball game — the “Purpleville KickbaLZ Invitational — and in June a team tournament is being planned. The 2023 schedule is to be announced, but last year’s events included cornhole tourneys, craft fair, motorcycle ride, walk and more.
“I cannot tell you guys how much this means to Pine Tree Hospice,” said Executive Director Kristen Sutherland of the Dover-Foxcroft-based organization. “We are a non-medical organization, and we don’t qualify for any state or federal medical funding. What we do is provide volunteers into the homes of caregivers.”
Sutherland said Pine Tree Hospice is helping not only those facing illness, but also their caregivers. “We’re working with caregivers who at some times have been unable to even take a shower without having to have help to make sure their loved one is safe,” she said.
Pine Tree Hospice services have increased in Greenville in recent years. Sutherland said there also are more volunteers based in and around Greenville since the 1990s when the organization had a small office in town.
“We are proud to offer our services here. All services are free,” she said. “We never charge a family anything. We do care planning with families, and all kinds of things,” working to fill in the gaps of health care services.
“We only have a full-time staff equivalent of 3.2, so we do a lot with a little,” Sutherland said.
“We really appreciate this. Of course this is something close to my heart,” the executive director said, mentioning she formerly lived in Greenville and now resides nearby in Shirley.
“Obviously this is very important work so kudos to you guys for what you do. It’s extremely important,” Select Chairperson Geno Murray said.
Luce thanked Sutherland, saying Pine Tree Hospice made a difference with her family. “The reason we selected both of these organizations is because we do see a need for a cure, but until we get to that and (Jackson Labs finds a cure), people need support. It takes a village and it takes a purple village.”