Sharon Coleman
Our affiliation with Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (C.A.R.T.) was born out of our personal journey. Beginning in June of 2017, our family sat bedside with mom as she struggled with the last leg of her final battle with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
It was about this same time we learned of a new project by the Rotary Clubs of North America called C.A.R.T. Started in 1995 by one South Carolina Rotary Club, C.A.R.T. is now supported by Rotary clubs across North America.
C.A.R.T. is a 501(c)(3) organization which is dedicated to raising funds to provide seed- money for cutting-edge, high-impact research, in hopes of finding a cure/prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of C.A.R.T. is to encourage exploratory and developmental AD research projects in the U.S.A. by providing financial support for the early and conceptual plans for projects not yet supported by extensive preliminary data, but which have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research into AD. 100% of donations and over 80% of the interest earned goes to fund grants for AD research. As of May 2019 CART has awarded $8.2 million dollars in 50 grants to recognized US research institutions. All administrative expenses of the Fund are paid from interest earned from invested contributions.
In August of 2017, C.A.R.T. Executive Director, Bill Shillito, deputized Jean and me as C.A.R.T. Ambassadors at-large following a conversation in which we shared our desire to raise awareness of the work that C.A.R.T. supports. By making up attendance at Rotary Clubs along America’s Great Loop, the Bahamas, Nova Scotia and Canada, we will challenge clubs to save loose change for the duration of our cruise and at the end of our journey donate that amount (or more) to C.A.R.T.
Rotary of Sarasota Sunrise, Florida
Rotary of Palm Beach Flagler, Florida
Rotary Club of Upper Keys (Tavernier) Florida
Rotary Club of Key West Noon, Florida
Rotary Club of Key West Sunrise, Florida
Rotary Club of Key West Sunset, Florida
Rotary Club of Eau Gallie, Florida
Rotary Club of Indialantic, Florida
Rotary Club of Charleston, SC
Rotary Club of Parole Annapolis, MD
Rotary Club of Burlington Sunrise, VT
Rotary Club du Vieux-Montréal, QC
Rotary Club of Trenton, Ontario was our record-breaker, donating over $200 to CART!!!
Rotary Club of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Rotary Club of Jackson Hole, WY – we connected a local Alzheimer’s Research Lab to CART for possible funding!
Rotary Club of St Charles, Illinois
Rotary Club of Columbus Mississippi – Gets the award for Service above Self – We were taken out to dinner, introduced to the Chamber president and given a personal tour of the historic areas of the city by fellow Rotarian Bob Raymond, who went above and beyond!!! Amazing Rotarians in this town! We even made the local paper!
Back home at the Rotary Club of Tarpon Springs in January of 2018 – we did a program on our Loop trip and were honored that several of the other Loopers attended to support us!
