RivALZ Twin Ports Preparing for Year Two

RivALZ Twin Ports 2019 Blondes vs. Brunettes game is August 24th at Public Schools Stadium.

DULUTH, Minn. – RivALZ started in 2005, where a group of women came together to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association and train for a flag football game in Washington D.C. The movement has since spread to 40 cities and is currently in its second year right here in the Twin Ports.

“It is a volunteer led initiative basically, so it’s a bunch of us get together to plan the big event and all of the fundraising initiatives leading up to the big event and then everything else after the event and after game day to reach out fundraising goal,” committee chair Brittney Hanson.

RivALZ Twin Ports has a lofty goal of $25,000 this year but feel ready to tackle that goal, thanks to the support in the community.

“It’s definitely been really awesome to see all of the people that have already donated. It’s really cool to see the people who donated last year donate again this year, and even just new people getting involved in the fundraising aspect of it,” second-year participant Morgan Harvener said.

Women here in the Twin Ports are joining the fight against Alzheimer’s, whether for a personal reason or just as a way to give back.

“My grandma actually suffered from the disease. She passed away in 2012 so it was really important to me to help out with the organization however I can,” Harvener said.

“My father was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s three years ago and he just passed away earlier this year from the disease,” Hanson added.

“I actually was involved in RivALZ Twin Cities for a few years. I heard that it was coming here to Twin Ports and wanted to get involved. I didn’t have a personal connection necessarily to Alzheimer’s, I just happened to get recruited by a friend down there. Just getting involved I’ve found how great of an organization it was. It’s a super good cause and I made a lot of good friends there that were impacted by the disease,” second-year participant Brandy Lusk said.

Now these women are preparing for the blondes versus brunette game on August 24, where a group of women are coming together to raise money for a disease that’s continuing to impact women all over.

“One of the biggest things in flag football and bringing people together to support the Alzheimer’s Association is the prevalence of the disease among women. It affects around 2/3 of all Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s just a fun, unique way for us ladies to come together and be active and help raise awareness around the disease,” Hanson said.

As these women aim to reach their goal and continue to spread awareness around the Twin Ports, they hope they can one day soon see the end of this disease that’s currently effecting 44 million people worldwide.

“It’s really interesting to see just how many connections there are with people. Even when I’m sharing with my friends or people about this, they say I know my aunt or uncle had it or my grandma. Everybody has some sort of connection to it,” Harvener said.

“I just hope to spread awareness of the disease. It’s something that impacts almost every family out there. I really want to find a cure. We’re so close to finding a cure. The more we talk about it and the more organizations like this take place, hopefully one day soon we’ll find that cure,” Lusk added.

The RivALZ Twin Ports 2019 blondes versus brunette game is Saturday, August 24 at Lincoln Park Middle School. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

If you would like to learn more about RivALZ or are interested in donating, visit their website.