A Mobile business owner is turning her own family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease into an effort to support the people who spend their days caring for patients with the condition.
Gina Scott, owner of Gas Blast Travel Agency, organized the 2017 Shop til You Drop Shopping Spree to raise money for caregivers who devote their time to helping Alzheimer’s patients. Scott’s mother lives with Alzheimer’s, and the experience of watching her family navigate the disease inspired her to find a way to give something back to the caregivers who do that work every day.
The shopping spree is set for Saturday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ashbury Hotel & Suites in Mobile. Organizers say the event will bring together a wide variety of vendors under one roof, giving shoppers the chance to browse everything from clothing to accessories while supporting a good cause.
Beyond the shopping, the event is expected to include fashion shows highlighting outfit ideas for an upcoming cruise, along with a fitness demonstration from Frontline Fitness. Organizers designed the day to feel like a community gathering as much as a fundraiser, with entertainment and activities planned alongside the vendor booths.
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of families across the country, and much of the day-to-day burden of care falls on family members and professional caregivers who often go without much recognition for their work. Scott said she hopes the funds raised through the shopping event will provide some measure of support and appreciation for those caregivers, many of whom balance long hours of care with their own jobs and families.
Local business owners and community members are encouraged to stop by the Ashbury Hotel & Suites on July 29 to shop, meet area vendors and support caregivers in the Mobile area who work tirelessly on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients.