By Hannah White
Nine out of 10 Americans who know someone living with Alzheimer’s are concerned that they or someone close to them will develop this fatal disease. Currently, there is no cure, but there is hope thanks to volunteers across the state who are making things better for Floridians.
Volunteers like Saul Simon, a driven and passionate advocate dedicated to combating Alzheimer’s disease and spreading awareness and support for the cause. Founder of Simon Financial Group, Simon currently resides in Boca Raton and is a member of the Broken Sound country club. His father, Stuart Simon, lived with Alzheimer’s for several years before passing away of COVID-19 in April 2020. Following this event, Saul promptly decided he wanted to make a commitment to fight the disease and aimed his ambitions at spreading awareness and fostering a sense of community among those whose lives have been affected by it.
At the Broken Sound country club, Saul organized a pickleball tournament for his community held on April 24, 2022 with the goal of honoring the community’s loved ones living with Alzheimer’s. He encouraged participants to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association and raised $15,000 during the event. He also received an endorsement from the Broken Sound country club to hold the tournament annually.
Of the many accomplishments he achieved with his pickleball tournament, Saul shared that he was particularly impacted by the sense of community and honesty that the event sparked.
“The beauty of putting on this event was a buddy of mine looking at me and saying, ‘Thank you for doing this. I don’t know if you know this, but my mom suffered from this disease.’…I never would have known that his mom suffered as my dad suffered. It created authenticity,” Saul reminisces fondly.
The event dwelled on unity and hope within the community. In tribute to this sense of unity, Saul strung up photos of attendees’ loved ones living with Alzheimer’s at the event. Saul dreams of furthering this sense of community and increased awareness by expanding pickleball tournaments for Alzheimer’s to a national level.
Saul’s next venture in aiding the Alzheimer’s cause is participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, the world’s largest event to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. He is the leader for the Broken Sound team in the upcoming 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Boca Raton, taking place on Sunday, November 13 at South County Regional Park. If you would like to get in contact with Saul and participate in his future endeavors for the Alzheimer’s cause, you can reach him here. Find more information on the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Boca Raton, or find a Walk near you.
The Alzheimer’s Association Southeast Florida Chapter has resources available to support you and your loved ones. Learn more about the in-person and online services or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
