Press Release: Mississippi Paddler Announces Yearlong Effort to Raise Funds and Awareness for Alzheimer’s

Flora, MS. April 30, 2010—Mississippi paddling enthusiast Keith Plunkett announced today the schedule for a year of paddling Mississippi’s waterways. The effort will begin in July on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will take Plunkett on a journey across 5 regions of the state to paddle waterways that are both popular destinations and underutilized opportunities. During the trips the Yazoo County native and Flora resident will tell the stories of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers in each region, and will highlight ongoing efforts by the Alzheimer’s Association and medical professionals to defeat the disease.

Over the next two months leading up to the kickoff of the yearlong event, Plunkett will speak with groups across the state to raise awareness, and to secure monetary pledges for each mile paddled. He has set a goal of 600 miles, or roughly 120 miles per region, and hopes to entice a few others to join him on some of the excursions. Work is ongoing to outfit the current website, www.lucysrevenge.com, with a real-time map that uses GPS to track Plunkett’s whereabouts and a fundraising gauge to show the amount of dollars raised.

“I realize not everyone will pick up a paddle, or has a kayak or canoe. But, I still want people to be with me on this journey,” said Plunkett. “A great way to do that is through offering people an opportunity to see exactly where I am in the process at any given moment.”

While Plunkett is a relative newcomer to the paddling world, he has enlisted two of the state’s foremost authorities on paddling in Mississippi, Scott Williams and Ernest Herndon. Williams and Herndon have both paddled across the state and written extensively on the subject.

“Motivated by love for his late grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s, Keith Plunkett, along with his wife Sharon, has hit on a great way to bring attention to the disease, while accomplishing other objectives as well,” said Herndon whose book, Canoeing Mississippi, provided a template for the schedule Keith’s wife Sharon developed for the project.

Herndon added, “The Plunketts will not only raise funds for much-needed Alzheimer’s research and support services, but will help showcase Mississippi’s beautiful waterways, friendly people and natural attractions—all told, a fun and meaningful way to spend a year’s worth of weekends.”

Plunkett’s grandmother was Lucy Plunkett. The matriarch of the Plunkett family reared six children, and oversaw the upbringing of 9 grandchildren. She was a housewife and an active member of the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

“Mamaw was the most humble and hardworking person I have ever known,” said Plunkett. “She happily awoke before 6 am each morning to cook breakfast for anyone that showed up to her table. That continued throughout the day and the week and culminated in a huge Sunday dinner.”

Lucy Plunkett’s dedication also extended to Concord Baptist Church where she served for many years and in many different capacities, including director of Women’s Missions and director of Vacation Bible School.

“Lucy Plunkett put her faith out there every day. She worked out in her life and others, the blessings that God had given her,” Plunkett said. “To have a disease rob her of the memories of those blessings was tough for my family to watch.”

“I see this project as a symbol of me taking back what Alzheimer’s and Dementia took from her.”

“The Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is honored to partner with Keith Plunkett on this campaign across Mississippi to raise awareness and funds for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Keith is making a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of the Association,” said Patty Dunn, State Operations Director for Mississippi Chapter. “We urge individuals to use their voice to educate the public about their experiences with Alzheimer’s disease and Keith is doing that and more,” continued Dunn.

“The number of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease is growing at a rapid rate. In Mississippi alone, 53,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease with an additional 148,000 caregivers providing unpaid care. The personal cost of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing and will have a significant impact on the state,” said Dunn.

The schedule is planned using the 5 regional areas of the Alzheimer’s Association as a template. Since weather may be a factor, many other rivers are possible that could also cover multiple regions and the additionally needed mileage to meet the goal of 600 miles. These rivers include the Pascagoula, Pearl, several segments of the Mississippi River from Memphis to Natchez, Big Black, Yazoo, and a several oxbows, lakes and reservoirs.

• Kickoff July 10th—Public Canoe Trail on Old Fort Bayou in Ocean Springs.

*July and August (Coast Region)—Wolf River, Escatawpa, Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs, and paddle in Mississippi Sound to Deer Island. If the schedules permit then possibly a trip to Horn Island with guest paddlers.

• September & October (Southeast – Meridian and Hattiesburg areas) - Chickasawhay; Chunky; Black Creek; Red Creek; Buckatunna and Bowie.

• November & December (Northeast – Columbus/Tupelo District) – Tenn-Tom, Bear Creek, Noxubee NWR (Louisville) has two great paddling lakes; Buttahatchee.

• January & February (Northwest/Delta) - Yalobusha (Grenada); Sunflower River; Mississippi River segments around Clarksdale.

• March, April & May (Southwest – Jackson & Vicksburg) Bogue Chitto; Leaf (also overlaps into Southeast) district); Strong River; Magee’s Creek; Homochitto; Bayou Pierre; Big Black River; Yazoo River.

• June – “Finale” trip with Ernest, Scott and other outfitters and paddling enthusiasts on the Pascagoula or lower Pearl.