Alcatraz swim to benefit Alzheimer’s Disease Center

A Redding-area man will swim from Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay to the city shore to benefit the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center.

Darren Abersold, a full-time nursing student at Shasta College, is seeking donations for the “Jim Kidd Memorial Alcatraz to Alzheimer’s Swim,” set for Saturday, September 2. Abersold will swim about 1.2 miles in water with a temperature of about 60 degrees.

Abersold, a competitive swimmer and triathlete, is conducting the fund-raising swim because of his close relationship with Berney Kidd, the daughter of Jim Kidd, who died from Alzheimer’s-related complications five years ago. Abersold also has an aunt with dementia.

After deciding to conduct the fund-raising swim, Abersold chose the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center as the beneficiary after reading about it on the Web, then visiting the center and meeting with members of its staff, said Jayne LaGrande, administrative manager of the center.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.