Months ago, when Todd Gindy and his son were visiting with Guitar Center co-founder Ray Scherr and admiring his impressive car collection, the three got to talking about life. Hours into their conversation, Todd mentioned that his mother had Alzheimer’s and that he was interested in putting together some sort of event benefitting Alzheimer’s research. Ray’s immediate response was one that is not entirely unfamiliar to us at Racing to End Alzheimer’s.
“Mine too. Whatever it is, I’m in,” he said.
The years have brought many lessons to Racing to End Alzheimer’s – don’t take that curve at Road America too fast, carefully adjust your setup on a slick track, don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. But the lesson that surfaces again and again is to recognize the power that exists in a community leaning on a shared experience.
We were reminded of that once more when Todd and dozens of car lovers put customized memorial logos and number plates on their Porsches, McLarens and Corvettes and roared through Southern California’s coastal mountains in support of Racing to End Alzheimer’s. By the end of the day, the participants had raised $45,000 for Alzheimer’s research and forged a lasting camaraderie with each other.
“This was something more. This wasn’t just a car event,” said Gindy. “Everyone who was there either had a mother, father, grandparent, sister, brother, uncle or aunt with Alzheimer’s.”
A collection and a cruise
The event, which took place at the beginning of October, started at Ray’s car collection in the western San Fernando Valley. After sufficient gawking at the magnificent lineup of machines, along with a talk given by our founder Phil Frengs and a Q&A session with UCLA’s head of gerontology Dr. David Reuben, the crew of about 40 set off on the windy roads to Malibu in an impressive convoy of horsepower. Each car had a custom Racing to End Alzheimer’s run dial on its door, and Todd’s Porsche 718 Boxster donned the names of the participants’ honorees.
In all, the rally lasted a few hours, ending with lunch at a local restaurant. As the drivers and their friends sat in the dining room, it was clear that something had shifted that morning. Many of these people had started the day contending with challenges brought by what can be a very lonely disease. By the end of it, they had come together and done something positive about it. That’s the power that exists in a community.
What it all means
Gindy told a story that got to the heart of something fundamental about this event. A month or so before the drive, he was at a Ford dealership shopping for cars when he got to talking to one of the guys there. Somehow the rally came up, and Gindy’s new friend asked if he could participate, saying that Alzheimer’s had affected him personally as well.
At that moment, two strangers at a car dealership found something in common. A small thread of understanding that drew them closer in some inexplicable way.
We don’t yet know what will be the eventual end of Alzheimer’s. What we do know is that it will be the result of people coming together, lifting each other up and pushing for the kind of world they wish to see.
Thanks for reading.
