Pilot Club of Fort Pierce hosted their 17th Annual Birdies for Bracelets on September 25th at Meadowood Golf & Tennis Club

Fort Pierce, FL – For the 17^th consecutive year, the Pilot Club of Fort Pierce partnered with Alzheimer’s Community Care and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (K9 & Aviation Units) to host the “Birdies for Bracelets” golf tournament. More than $23,000 dollars were raised this year to provide ID Locator bracelets for St. Lucie residents living with some form of dementia and at risk of wandering from safety. One hundred percent of patients who wander while wearing the bracelet are found unharmed within hours. Because of the generosity of the Pilot Club of Fort Pierce, this life-saving device is provided at no-cost to local qualifying Alzheimer’s patients.

This year’s event had more than 125 golfers and thousands of dollars in prizes donated for the raffles. The biggest ticket item was a weeklong trip to Estero Island off the coast of Tampa for the entire family. The ticket sales for that one item yielded over $3,700.00 and is being matched by The Klima Family of West Palm Beach, Florida. Marlene Le-Klima is a former employee of Alzheimer’s Community Care and truly believes in their mission. Marlene said, “The ID Locator Program is near and dear to my heart. My own Nana passed away of Alzheimer’s last year and if she would’ve had something like this, she would’ve been at home in her final moments instead of at a nursing home. This program enables your loved ones to continue living their life with dignity at home with their family.”

The event grossed over $23,000, a significant increase over last year’s event. This year’s Pilot Club President, Barbara Mckenzie said, “We are so proud of our partnership with Alzheimer’s Community Care and even more proud of the lives that have been saved by the services that Alzheimer’s Community Care provides. We look forward to a long partnership!”

Birdies for Bracelets’ annual event is a permanent fixture in the Treasure Coast. It brings much needed awareness to Alzheimer’s disease. More than 60% of all Alzheimer’s patients will wander at some point in the disease and there has been a 30% increase in elopements in the past eight months. Alzheimer’s Community Care’s ID Locator Service eases the worry of caregivers by providing peace of mind.

Alzheimer’s Community Care is extremely grateful to the Pilot Club of Fort Pierce and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department for their continued support.

Plans are underway for next year’s tournament so be sure to mark your calendars for September 2022.

Contact:

Development Department

772.223. 6351