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December Volunteer Spotlight: Glenn Jenner

15 Dec

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Glen Jenner (far right) presenting Executive Director Gino Colombara and Board President Shannon Kane with last year’s Beach Ball donations!

Congratulations to our December Volunteer of the Month Glenn Jenner! Glenn first connected with our chapter after joining the Parrot Head Club of Tidewater about 15 years ago. While learning more about the club’s activities, he heard about a volunteer opportunity to help run the annual Charity Beach Ball to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association Southeastern Virginia Chapter. The opportunity connected with Glenn as he had seen the effects of Alzheimer’s disease firsthand after losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s and later his father to a related dementia. For the past 13 years, Glenn has volunteered on the Beach Ball committee and helped raise over $600,000 for our chapter since the event’s inception, last year alone brought in close to $76,000. About 6 years ago, Glenn was asked by our executive director Gino Colombara to join our Chapter’s Board of Directors and to this day is still an active member.

Glenn Jenner is originally from Northern Virginia and moved to Virginia Beach in 1982 for school. After graduating in 1986, he started Brothers Printing and has served as the business’s president since then. Brothers initially supplied local customers with vital business forms and office paperwork before adding key promotional items to the mix in 1992. Brothers Printing now serves customers nationwide with a variety of different printing services. Glenn says his favorite part of the job is interacting with his longtime customers, many of whom have stayed with Brothers since the print shop opened! While they usually work on business printing projects, unique requests are made too. For example, one of Glenn’s favorite projects was manufacturing 500 pairs of custom flip flops that left logo impressions in the sand when worn.

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Glen Jenner (Center) with other festive Beach Ball attendees.


When Glenn is not working, he likes to spend time with his wife Denyse Jenner and their rescue dog Ginger, who the couple saved from a high kill animal shelter after Denyse saw the dog’s picture on social media. The couple also loves to cook and entertain small groups of friends at their home in Virginia Beach. When they have the time, Glenn and Denyse love to travel. Glenn’s favorite travel spots include Florence, Italy and Cyprus, Greece where he says he had the best food in his life.

Our Chapter is so grateful to Glenn for being part of the legacy that will help us achieve a world without Alzheimer’s! To learn more about how you can volunteer for our Chapter please visit our website at https://www.alz.org/seva/in_my_community_104988.asp

November Volunteer Spotlight: Tony Macrini

13 Nov

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Tony Macrini emceeing at the Williamsburg Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Congratulations to our November Volunteer of the Month, Tony Macrini. Tony is a talk show host for the WNIS AM790 Morning Show and a long time friend to the Alzheimer’s Association. Tony, for several years, has volunteered as emcee for our Peninsula and Williamsburg Walks, lending his booming voice to our cause.

Tony Macrini was born in New York City and attended Parochial schools while growing up. Tony, his younger sister, and parents moved to New Jersey in 1961. He attended and graduated from South Brunswick High School where he was active in Theatre Arts, cross-country, Wrestling, and Track. Shortly after graduation, Tony enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged and then went to broadcasting school. Tony has been a broadcaster for 35 years – 33 in Virginia. He lives in Williamsburg and has two sons- his oldest serving in the Navy.

Macrini and his team start their broadcasting day at 6 a.m and deliver programming until 10 a.m., Monday through Friday on WNIS AM790. They’re up before the sun with the focus on local weather, traffic, headlines and the time of the day. His show includes nationally syndicated segments by Mike Evans from Hollywood and Earl Pitts, America’s favorite redneck. Tony’s entertaining and dynamic conversations focus on a variety of topics from politics to practically anything. The show also combines up-to-the-minute FOX news, Wall Street Journal Reports, weather, traffic, sports and interesting guests.

Through his morning show, Tony has provided the chapter with much-needed exposure in our local area. Tony has welcomed many members of our chapter, Alzheimer’s Association staff, volunteers, and local Alzheimer’s disease experts on his show over the years. Thanks to his show, our chapter has been able to educate thousands of local residents about Association services, programs, and fundraising efforts.

Working with the Alzheimer’s Association Southeastern Virginia Chapter, Tony hopes to continue increasing awareness so one day soon we will have our first of many survivors.

To learn more about Tony Macrini’s show or to listen live please click here: http://www.wnis.com/programming/tony_macrini

If you are interested in volunteering with our chapter, you can learn more information on our website at http://www.alz.org/seva/in_my_community_104988.asp

October Volunteer Spotlight: Tim Pandajis

10 Oct

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Tim and his dog Bentley at the CoVA Walk.
Tim Pandajis speaking at the CoVA Walk.

Congratulations to our October Volunteer of the Month, Tim Pandajis. Tim Pandajis is the Daybreak meteorologist at 13News Now, the ABC affiliate in Norfolk, VA and a friend to the Alzheimer’s Association for many years now. Most recently, Tim was the emcee at the Coastal Virginia Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Tim has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s as so many of our volunteers do; his grandmother, Christine Anastasion suffered from the disease that led to her passing in 2010. He watched as precious memories were stolen from her one by one and her family became strangers. He shared that it wasn’t just his grandmother who suffered, it was the entire family. The feeling of helplessness set in early on as they watched the disease envelop all their lives.

Tim is from Connecticut. He is one of the most passionate meteorologists in the field; you can definitely tell watching him that he loves what he does. He holds the distinguished Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal from the American Meteorological Society and earned his B.S. degree in Meteorology from Western Connecticut State University. Picking up and leaving town after graduation to chase his dream of being a television meteorologist took him to Hagerstown, Maryland where he landed his first position. From there he moved on to Richmond, VA where he met his amazing wife, Martha. They were married in May of 2016 before moving to Chesapeake where they currently live. Martha and her family also share the connection to Alzheimer’s disease; Martha’s grandfather suffered from it when she was a child.

Tim and Martha are huge animal lovers and have 3 dogs, one of which, Bentley the golden retriever, you may have seen joining Tim at the TV station some mornings. Together, Tim and his wife love to volunteer and help in the community they now call home. Working with the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Virginia, they hope to continue increasing awareness so one day soon we will have our first of many survivors.

Click here to view Tim’s Why I Walk story!

Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Frances

8 Aug

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Mary Frances is a long time volunteer and advocate at the Southeastern Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She started with the chapter back in 1997, after her mother, Frances Wade Newsome, passed away as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. Before her mother died, Mary Frances had promised her mother she would help other people with dementia. Mary Frances connected with the chapter and started a support group at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Franklin, VA. Mary Frances and The Rev. David Johnson, from Sedley Baptist Church, were trained by Chapter staff to each be a facilitator of a support group, for their area. Together they helped many families and caregivers find the support they needed. In 1998, she was appointed to our chapter’s Board of Directors. Then, in 1999, she became employed as the chapter’s full-time Educational Outreach Coordinator, working out of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Sadly, in December of 2000, Mary Frances was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  As a result, she had to step down from her full-time position in 2001. The diagnosis further fueled her passion to make a difference as a dedicated volunteer and advocate.  Mary Frances and her supportive husband, Jimmy, secured a building for the chapter in 2005.  She and Jimmy enlisted the help of community volunteers to clean up and rebuild the vacant structure to fit the needs of the Association.  Due to damage from severe flooding, the office was closed in 2010.  

Mary Frances continues to be an extremely committed volunteer. In fact, she and Jimmy have been publicly recognized by the chapter as Outstanding Volunteers. Currently, she co-facilitates a support group in Franklin which meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month, as well as assists with managing support group facilitators in the area. She and Jimmy are still good friends with Executive Director of the SEVA Chapter, Gino Colombara and his wife Grace.

When Mary Frances is not volunteering with the chapter, she and Jimmy also volunteer at the Episcopal Church in Franklin where they assist at the camp grounds over the summer and manage activities at the church. Mary Frances is also a self-proclaimed animal fanatic and cherishes her beloved dog Candy Campbell, a Dachshund-Pug mix.

We are so thankful to have Mary Frances as both a dedicated volunteer and advocate! If you are interested in volunteering with our chapter, you can learn more information on our website at http://www.alz.org/seva/in_my_community_104988.asp

Volunteer Spotlight: Sharon Babbs

11 Jul

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Sharon Babbs
Sharon has been a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association for about 16 years. She lost her mother to Alzheimer’s 15 years ago, so she knows firsthand what it means to be a family caregiver. She knew she wanted to become involved with the Association in some capacity, so 18 years ago Sharon participated in what was then called the Memory Walk. Today, of course, we know it as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Since that first Walk, Sharon has been a volunteer, helping in any way she can. She has taken on the role of advocate as well as Walk Chair and Logistics Chair for the Coastal Virginia Walk in Virginia Beach. Most recently, Sharon has been serving as that Walk’s Volunteer Coordinator. To quote her, Sharon tells us that “the Chapter office and everyone in it are my second family.”

When she is not in volunteer mode, Sharon is mother to her sons Chad, Brandon and Benjamin. She is wife to her husband Robbie. As if her proverbial plate isn’t already overflowing, Sharon is the gifted resource teacher to 544 students at Luxford Elementary School in Virginia Beach.

Volunteer Spotlight: Sally McClatchy

20 Jun

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Sally McClatchy is an extraordinary volunteer for the Southeastern Virginia Chapter. Sally serves as a co-facilitator our Norfolk Peers & Partners early stage support groups, an office volunteer, a community educator. Sally regularly shares with staff and fellow volunteers that her work with the Alzheimer’s Association is her passion and she loves to be a volunteer.

Sally is a nurse by training, having received her BSN in Nursing from the Medical College of Virginia and her MS in Management Information Systems from the George Washington University. She also completed a fellowship in patient safety at Virginia Commonwealth University. During her career, Sally served as an emergency room nurse and taught at the School of Nursing at DePaul Hospital. During the latter part of her career, Sally focused her work on health care quality assurance.

The Chapter is certainly very grateful to have such a talented, caring volunteer like Sally on our team!

Volunteer Spotlight: Micah Hunt

24 May

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MicahMicah first got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association in 2013 when he worked for Eagle Medical Transports, a proud sponsor of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s®.  As Micah learned more about the Association and its mission, his involvement and commitment increased.  Since 2013, Micah has been very engaged in the Walk as team captain and achieved Champion fundraiser status in 2014 (raising over $500) and 2016 (raising over $4,000).  In 2015, Micah was appointed to the Chapter’s Board of Directors, and in 2016 he volunteered to be an Advocacy Ambassador for the Association.  Over the past five years, Micah has done tremendous work raising awareness and funds for the Association.  Micah spends a lot of time out in the community and can frequently be seen dressed in purple, wearing his Alzheimer’s Association lapel pin.  Micah is also a social media guru and his frequent posts to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have boosted the visibility of the Alzheimer’s Association considerably.  Thank you, Micah for making a difference every day and for your commitment to realizing a world without Alzheimer’s.

 

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