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Tryon Elementary artwork to be posted to support caregiver group

 

TRYON—The Foothills Dementia Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group recently partnered with students at Tryon Elementary to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s.

September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the Alzheimer’s support group collaborated with Parker Mullinax, an art teacher at Tryon Elementary School, to help bring awareness to the disease and how it affects so many.

Mullinax’s fourth and fifth-grade students created art depicting elephants, along with the phrase, “I will remember for you.” The artwork is now on display at Tryon Post Office. Mullinax says that he and Principal Dr. Cari Maneen were “excited to have the opportunity to engage the school and students in such a worthy cause.”

Peggy Wyllie, President of the Foothills Dementia Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, said she was happy to see the younger generation help raise awareness.

“I’m amazed and thrilled to receive such rapid response and creative effort from the kids of Tryon,” said Wyllie.

The Foothills Dementia Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group has been involved in supporting the caregivers of those afflicted with the disease for almost two years. The group holds meetings on the last Wednesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at the Meeting Place, located at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus. Its mission is to “provide nurturing support for those caring for loved ones with memory loss, and to provide a safe harbor for self-expression, gathering knowledge, sharing personal experiences and raising concerns.” 

The group also offers information regarding health care options, caregiver in-home support choices, and private and government resources. The group has become so popular recently that they have expanded, and are holding support meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at Holy Cross Church in Tryon. The group will also hold a town meeting on an as-of-yet unspecified date in February of 2024.

More information can be found at www.foothillsdasg.org, or by contacting Peggy Wyllie at 828-859-6339 or peggy.wyllie@gmail.com.