CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Funding for research is the key to finding cures for any number of diseases.
The National Alzheimer’s Association has raised over $62 million from various events, including this year’s virtual walk in November, which included impressive efforts from David Lawrence, Jr., the former publisher of the Miami Herald and childhood education advocate.
Dave and Roberta Lawrence’s love story began in 1962 at the University of Florida.
They were soon married and building a family and a life together.
”My wife kept this family together in a whole bunch of ways, we raised 5 children I worked for 7 different newspapers over 35 years and she watched over every nickel we had and wrote every check,” said Lawrence.
Then two years ago came the diagnosis: his wife had Alzheimer’s disease.
”We have no Alzheimer’s record in our family in her family or my family we had cancer, heart disease but no Alzheimer’s so we didn’t know anything about it,” said Lawrence.
In the midst of working to help his wife, Lawrence’s daughter, Dana, suggested that in 2020 they take part in the Alzheimer’s virtual walk.
Rather than creating a team, Lawrence picked up the phone.
”So we reached out to a lot of people and a lot of people gave and we wound up raising $122,000, a record here for that kind of thing,” said Lawrence.
Even in the face of his wife’s diagnosis, Lawrence remains an eternal optimist.
”She is smarter and deeper than I am, so she has what they say medically is a cognitive reserve, so she’s doing pretty well,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence’s effort gave him the distinction of being the fourth highest Alzheimer’s Association Walk fundraiser in the United States this year.