Alzheimer’s Paddler invites public to join in for Mississippi River Adventure March 26-27

Flora, MS. March 18, 2011—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, is inviting the public to join him for a Mississippi River Adventure March 26-27. Plunkett, along with his wife Sharon, will be joined by fellow paddlers at Quapaw Canoe Company at 291 Sunflower Avenue in Clarksdale, Mississippi at 6:00 am. The two-day adventure will take paddlers from Rosedale to Greenville through some of the wildest areas of the Lower Mississippi River to benefit the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The cost to participants is $250 per person and includes meals, shuttling, and equipment.

“This is an absolute adventure that participants will never forget,” said Plunkett. “John Ruskey is known around the country for his guides on the Lower Mississippi in his 30-ft voyageur style canoes. Folks don’t even have to paddle, just ride and enjoy!”

WHAT: Mississippi River Adventure

WHEN: March 26-27, 2011

WHERE: Meet at Quapaw Canoe Company, 291 Sunflower Avenue, Clarksdale, MS.

COST: $250 per person includes food, shuttling, and equipment. 25 percent will be donated to Lucy’s Revenge: The Alzheimer’s Paddling Project.

FOR MORE TRIP INFORMATION CALL: John Ruskey at 662-627-4070 or email john@island63.com

MISSISSIPPI KAYAKER CALLS ON PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO SHOW SUPPORT IN FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

FLORA, MS – Keith Plunkett, Mississippi Paddler and founder of Lucy’s Revenge: The Alzheimer’s Paddling Project made the following statement after the release of the new Facts and Figures report by the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association:

“These new numbers show that Alzheimer’s is going to be a significant challenge to our Medicaid system in Mississippi in the coming years. We are a rural state with a large number of individuals already on the Medicaid rolls; that number is going to increase exponentially in the next 10-20 years. It is irresponsible for public officials to ignore that fact. I issued a challenge last month to those individuals campaigning for public office to give a percentage of the millions they have raised in campaign funds and assist the roughly seven (7) percent of Mississippians who act as caregivers in this state. I stand by that challenge! A gift of a simple one (1) percent from campaign war chests could give the Mississippi Alzheimer’s Association the ability to provide support to hundreds of thousands of Mississippians. The help could also benefit early diagnosis efforts which may reduce costs to the state in the future. I support public officials who want to cut government spending, but they should also lead the way in showing that private sector giving can help solve our most daunting challenges. Political slogans don’t fix real problems, and developing long-term policy is only part of the equation. These are real Mississippi families with real problems that don’t end after the legislative session is gaveled to a close.”

Alzheimer’s Paddler to Be in Clarksdale for Sunflower River tour February 26-27

Flora, MS. February 25, 2011—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, will be in Clarksdale for an excursion on the Sunflower River this Saturday and Sunday. The event will raise money and awareness for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and is timed to coincide with Sunflower River Month. Local group Friends of the Sunflower River is a sponsor of the trip. Plunkett, along with his wife Sharon, will be joined by fellow paddlers at Quapaw Canoe Company for a pre-launch meeting at 9:00 am Saturday morning. The group of paddlers will paddle from Eagles Nest to Clarksdale on Saturday, and continue to Hopson on Sunday.

The effort will continue in the Delta in March before moving into waterways in Southwest Mississippi in April. The full list of rivers and dates are available online at http://www.lucysreveng.com/.

During the trips the Yazoo County native and Flora resident will meet with 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.

Plunkett will also speak with groups across the state to raise awareness and money to aid families affected by the disease with support services. He expects to complete 876 miles by the end of the project in early July. Stories, videos, and photos are posted regularly to the website, www.lucysrevenge.com .

The project is named in memory of Plunkett’s Grandmother, Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1993. 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 her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

Alzheimer’s Paddler to Be on Yalobusha River for 52-Mile Trek February 19-21

Flora, MS. February 18, 2011—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, will be launching the Spring/Summer Tour of Mississippi waterways this Saturday in Grenada, Mississippi. Plunkett, along with his wife Sharon, will be joined by fellow paddlers at The Bait Shop at 22106 Highway 8 in Grenada for breakfast and a pre-launch meeting at 7:00 am. The group of 13 paddlers will launch at the Grenada Lake Spillway at 9:30. The 52-mile trip down the Yalobusha River will take 3-days and 2-nights and end at the Fulton Street Bridge in downtown Greenwood at approximately 3:00 pm Monday afternoon.

The effort will continue in the Delta throughout February and March before moving into waterways in Southwest Mississippi in April. The full list of rivers and dates are available online HERE .

During the trips the Yazoo County native and Flora resident will meet with 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.

Plunkett will also speak with groups across the state to raise awareness and money to aid families affected by the disease with support services. He expects to complete 876 miles by the end of the project in early July. Stories, videos, and photos are posted regularly to the website, www.lucysrevenge.com .

The project is named in memory of Plunkett’s Grandmother, Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1993. 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 her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

Mississippi Paddler Announces Remaining Dates in Alzheimer’s Awareness Tour

Keith Plunkett speaks to the media and an audience of 45-50
in attendance for a morning press conference at
St. Dominic Centre on Wednesday morning, February 16.
Plunkett will complete a year-long journey to paddle
Mississippi waters in July of 2011, amassing 847 miles.

Jackson, MS. February 16, 2011—Mississippi paddler and outdoorsman Keith Plunkett announced today the remaining schedule for a year of paddling Mississippi’s waterways. The effort began in July 2010 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has taken Plunkett on 336 miles of state waters that are both popular destinations and underutilized opportunities. During the trips the Yazoo County native and Flora resident continues to 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 five months of paddling, Plunkett expects to paddle an additional 539 miles. He will continue speaking with groups across the state to raise awareness, and securing donations for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. If his plans hold, he will shatter his original goal of 600 miles by 276. Plunkett expects to tally around 876 miles by the time the project finale is held on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Plunkett was joined during the 10 am press conference at St. Dominic Centre by St. Dominic President Sister Mary Dorothea Sondgrath, Dr. George Patton, Director of St. Dominic’s St. Catherine’s Village, and Meva Butler Director of Campbell Cove. Campbell Cove is a wing of the facility that deals directly with elderly Alzheimer’s patients.

Plunkett also issued a challenge to political donors in this year of hotly contested campaigns.

“We have just recently seen the latest campaign finance reports from the Secretary of State’s office. If you take just the amount of money raised by the announced candidates for state-wide office alone, it is probably in excess of $8 million,” Plunkett said. “Give me one percent, just one percent, of that for the Alzheimer’s Association through Lucy’s Revenge, and we will begin the ball rolling towards creating a project that seriously helps Mississippi families in need. That is my challenge to those who have given political donations, whether they are companies or individuals.”

Dr. Patton believes with the addition of the Mind Center at University Medical Center, and continued efforts from people to raise money; Mississippi is well positioned to be a leader in Alzheimer’s research.

The new research organization: the Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center has a campaign underway to raise $9 million for the center’s personnel and program costs through private donations.

“UMC also received $26 million in grants for that project,” said Patton. “Dr. Tom Mosley will be the head of that facility, and he is known around the world for his work in the field.”

The Medical Center and four collaborating academic medical centers received the grants from the National Institutes of Health to identify risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of cognitive decline in July of 2010.

Plunkett said he is now looking ahead at ways to continue the project with annual events in one of each of five designated regions across the state.

“The idea is that we can build on the Memory Walk model the Alzheimer’s Association already has in place for annual events to keep the dollars rolling in,” said Plunkett. “I have already spoken with sponsors interested in being a part of that.”

Plunkett added that there is also an economic development and tourism benefit from the promotion of small river towns across the state.

“Some of the very places these events will be held are the ones that need a shot in the arm,” he said. “Not to mention some of these small towns and cities are the backbone of our state’s history.”

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.

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

The remaining dates for the Lucy’s Revenge Tour are as follows:

Spring/Summer Dates

Saturday February 19-Monday February 21: 3-day, 2-night trip on the Yalobusha River from Grenada to Greenwood.
52 miles.
Sponsored by Lifehelp Region 6 Mental Health Center-Garden Park Adult Day Center.

Saturday February 26-Sunday February 27: Overnight trip on the Sunflower River in celebration of Sunflower River month from Eagles Nest to New Africa.
20 miles.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Sunflower River.
For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company in Clarksdale, Mississippi (662)627-4070

Saturday March 12: The second running of the Battle on the Bayou on Old Fort Bayou Ocean Springs. 9.5 miles.
For more information go to http://www.battleonthebayou.com/

Saturday March 19: Coldwater River.
Mileage TBD
Highlighting the conservation efforts of the Upper Coldwater River Watershed.
For more information go to http://www.coldwatertrail.org/

Saturday March 26-Sunday March 27: Overnight on the Mississippi River Muddy Waters Wilderness.
100 miles. Quapaw Landing to Warfield Point.
Sponsored by Quapaw Canoe Company
For more information contact Quapaw Canoe Company in Clarksdale, Mississippi (662)627-4070

Saturday April 16-Sunday April 27: Overnight on Bogue Chitto River.
27 miles. McComb to Dillon Bridge

Saturday April 23-Sunday April 24: Overnight on Bayou Pierre
50 miles. Dentville to Port Gibson

Saturday April 30-Sunday May 1: Overnight on the Yazoo River
43 miles. Satartia to Steele Bayou.

Saturday May 7-Sunday May 8: Overnight on the Homochitto River
36 miles. Eddiceton to Rosetta

Friday May 13-Sunday May 15: Overnights on the Leaf River
64 miles. Taylorsville to Old River Road

Saturday May 21-Sunday May 22: Overnight on the Red Creek
45.5 miles. Perkinston to Vestry

Saturday June 4-Sunday June 5: Overnight on Bear Creek
23 miles. Golden to Hwy 30.

Saturday June 11: Day trip on Chunky River
10 miles. Stucky Bridge to Enterprise

Saturday June 18-Sunday June 19: Overnight on the Bowie River.
26.5 miles. Highway 589 to Leaf River at Hattiesburg

Saturday July 2: Day Trip on the Pearl River
20 miles. Lefleurs Bluff through Jackson to Byram at the Swinging Bridge

Saturday July 9: Finale at the Ross Barnett Reservoir
13 miles. Tommy’s Trading Post to Madison Landing

Total Mileage for Spring/Summer Dates: 539.5 miles

Total Mileage since July of 2010: 336.5 miles

Grand Total Goal: 876 miles

MISSISSIPPI PADDLER TO ANNOUNCE 2011 TRIP DATES FOR ALZHEIMER’S PROJECT AT ST. DOMINIC PRESS CONFERENCE

Flora, MS. February 14, 2011—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, will be joined by sponsors, health officials, the staff of the Mississippi Alzheimer’s Association, and representatives from MS Tourism and the Department of Mental Health for a Press Conference on Wednesday February 16. The event will be held at the St. Dominic Centre Building at 3800 I-55 North in Jackson, Mississippi at 10:00 am.

“We have put together a very good list of trips of some of Mississippi’s best waterways,” said Plunkett. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to share this with the public and give others the opportunity to join me and many of Mississippi’s outdoorsmen in the coming months to show what wonderful things our state has to offer.”

Plunkett began the project in July of 2010 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has paddled areas all over the state to amass 336 miles on Mississippi waters while raising money and awareness to help fight Alzheimer’s disease.

The project is named in memory of Plunkett’s Grandmother, Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1993. 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 her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

WHO: Keith Plunkett
Ian McDonald (Development Director-MS Alzheimer’s Association)
Representatives from St. Dominic Health Services
Representatives from Mississippi Tourism Department
Representative from MS Department of Mental Health
Project Sponsor Representatives
Mississippi Alzheimer’s Health Care Facility Directors

WHAT: Announcement of upcoming fundraisers and paddling trips for February through July 2011.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
10:00 AM

WHERE: St. Dominic Centre Building
3800 I-55 North
Jackson, Mississippi 39216

Lucy’s Revenge Closes in on $10K, Breaks 300 Miles in Alzheimer’s Fundraising Effort

Mississippi Paddler asks East Mississippi health care officials and residents for help.

Flora, MS. October 19, 2010—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, has paddled over 300 miles in the yearlong effort to raise money for and awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease on Mississippi waterways. Joining a group of eight other kayakers on October 16, Plunkett launched from Bell Fontaine Point in Ocean Springs in route across the Mississippi Sound to Horn Island. Plunkett says he was driven to paddle a few extra miles while out on the island in order to be sure he met the 300-mile mark by the time the group may landfall to end the trip.

“South Coast Paddling Company and Mississippi Gulf Coast residents have been a huge help to the project on the coast and I wanted to be sure and hit this milestone there,” said Plunkett. “The Horn Island trip was a South Coast Paddling sponsored trip, so they did all the planning. I hadn’t mapped it before hand, and I wanted to be sure I got the mileage in.”

With that worry in mind, Plunkett awoke on the west end of Horn Island on Sunday morning and decided to put in a few extra miles before joining back up with the group. Paddling south of the island to Buoy 1 at Dog Keys Pass, he added an extra 6.6 miles, and had some unexpected but welcome company on the way back to the island.

“The first buoy is a little over 3 miles south of the island out into the open Gulf,” said Plunkett. “It was a little nerve wracking to look back and see Horn Island as a little speck behind me. I felt pretty small and vulnerable out there. But on the way back I got an escort from about 8 to 10 bottlenose dolphin, and that helped calm my nerves. They are beautiful animals.”

When Plunkett landed again at Bell Fontaine Point on Sunday afternoon he had logged another 29.5 miles bringing his totals for the project to 305.8.

The Flora resident began kayaking just over a year ago and says he wasn’t around the water much as a child, but is growing more confident in his paddling ability every day.

“In mid-July I thought I had reached the far reaches of my distance for a weekend paddling trip when Sharon and I floated a 45 mile trip on the Wolf River. Less than two months later we kayaked over 86 miles from Shubuta to Leaksville on the Chickasawhay River. About a week ago, I paddled in the Ninth Annual Phatwater Challenge on the Mississippi River. On that trip I managed to paddle nearly the same mileage that had taken me a full three days only three months earlier, and I did it in less than 6 hours. My ability and confidence has grown by leaps and bounds.”

Plunkett kicked off a yearlong effort to paddle over 600 miles of Mississippi waterways in July on the Gulf Coast. A goal he says he now expects to exceed by the projects end date in June 2011. He began focusing on waterways in the East Mississippi Region in September, but due to drought conditions and interest from other parts of the state he’s not done as much in the area as hoped.

“East Mississippi has many of the jewels of our state’s paddling waterways,” he said. “I really need some more help from East Mississippi, and some sponsors to step forward. This disease knows no boundaries. I know there are people and caregivers there that need the support, and I want to be there.”

So far, Plunkett has been on the coastal waterways of Old Fort Bayou, Davis Bayou, Wolf River, Escatawpa River and the Pascagoula River. He has paddled sections of the Pearl River, Strong River and Mississippi River. He and wife Sharon also completed an 86-mile trip on the Chickasawhay River in East Mississippi on Labor Day Weekend. Plunkett has raised $8,600 for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association since July while paddling through 14 Mississippi counties.

Stories, videos, and photos are posted to the website, www.lucysrevenge.com . General Donations and Sponsorship Opportunities links on the website connect donors directly to the Alzheimer’s Association website.

The project is named in memory of Plunkett’s Grandmother, Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1993. 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 her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

Mississippi Paddler to Visit Gulf Coast’s Most Historic River This Weekend

Flora, MS. August 13, 2010—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, will be continuing his August effort to paddle the Mississippi Gulf Coast by joining friends on the Pascagoula River August 14.

“I have been very much looking forward to the ‘Singing River’,” said Plunkett. “Part of what we hope to do with this project is not only raise funds for Alzheimer’s support services, but to highlight the beautiful waterways in Mississippi, and how those waterways support wildlife and the environment. You won’t find a better place to highlight conservation in the state than on the Pascagoula. I have my camera batteries fully charged and ready for this one!”

Plunkett kicked off a yearlong effort to paddle over 600 miles of Mississippi waterways in July on the Gulf Coast. He will begin focusing on waterways in the East Mississippi Region in September after finishing the Gulf Coast Region this month.

So far, Plunkett has paddled 127 miles and has been on the coastal waterways of Old Fort Bayou, Davis Bayou, Wolf River and the Escatawpa River. He has raised $2,231 for the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in the first month.

Mississippi Paddler to Hit Century Mark on Big Black River to End First Month of Paddling for Alzheimer’s Awareness

Flora, MS. Saturday July 31, 2010—Mississippi paddler Keith Plunkett will mark 100 miles of paddling for the month of July Sunday afternoon after paddling 30 miles from Highway 16 to Highway 49 on the Big Black River. Plunkett is expected to arrive at the Highway 49 Bridge sometime late Sunday afternoon. The Yazoo County native and Flora resident announced in April the schedule for a year of paddling Mississippi’s waterways. The effort started on July 10 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will take Plunkett on a journey across 5 regions of the state ending in June of 2011. During the trips Plunkett is interviewing 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.  Video and photos of the trips are posted online at http://www.lucysrevenge.com/.

Plunkett has been speaking with groups across the state to raise awareness, and to sign up corporate sponsors for the journey. 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. Anyone interested can follow his travels on his Facebook page through a real-time GPS mapping service provided by the newest sponsor, I-Tech of Madison. 

“I think it’s a significant symbol to hit the hundred-mile mark in the place that my Mamaw always called home,” said Plunkett of the river that marks the Yazoo and Madison County border. “

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.

Alzheimer’s Paddler To Be on Wolf River For 45-Mile Trek July 16-18

Flora, MS. July 16, 2010—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, will be paddling his longest trek yet on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Plunkett, along with his wife Sharon, will launch south of the Wolf River Game Management Area outside of Poplarville today. The 45-mile trip will end at W. Wittman Road in Pass Christian just a mile upstream from St. Louis Bay on Sunday afternoon taking the kayaking couple through 4 coastal counties.

The effort will continue on Mississippi Gulf Coast Regions throughout July and August, before moving to the Eastern Region of the state in September.

Mississippi Paddler Announces Camellia Home Health and Hospice as Gold Level Sponsor for Alzheimer’s Fundraiser

Flora, MS. May 19, 2010—Keith Plunkett, Mississippi paddler and organizer of Lucy’s Revenge, announced today that Camellia Home Health and Hospice will be a Gold Level Sponsor of the yearlong project to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research and support services. Camellia Home Health and Hospice is based out of Hattiesburg, Mississippi and has 18 locations from Jackson to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Camellia Home Health as a partner for this project,” said Plunkett. “They understand firsthand the toll Alzheimer’s is taking on our seniors, and the need to fight this disease.”

In Mississippi alone, 53,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease with an additional 148,000 caregivers providing unpaid care.

“As Keith begins his journey, it is our hope to get our local offices involved in drumming up support and participating in the paddling experience,” said Camellia President Abb Payne. “I look forward to working with him, and the Alzheimer’s Association to further their efforts.”

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 on July 10 in Ocean Springs, Plunkett will speak with groups across the state to raise awareness, and to secure donations. 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, including Payne.

“Abb told me he would like to join me on a few trips, and I look forward to it,” said Plunkett. “Paddling is a great family friendly sport, and we have so many resources in Mississippi to enjoy. I welcome anyone that wants to join in.”

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 website has been setup by the Alzheimer’s Association to begin collecting donations. A Paddling Partners Program has also been established for those who would like to form paddling teams and compete to raise money for the project.

The project is named in memory of Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1994. 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 her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.

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.