OMP Notes: Caregiver Needed, Alz Walk Planned, GoFundMe Set for Firefighter

Here’s a roundup of community notes around the Old Mission Peninsula:

Caregiver Needed

Lisa Loomis contacted me yesterday on behalf of her dad, Jim Loomis. They are looking for a caregiver to help out and spend time with Jim. From Lisa…

Caregiver needed for local octogenarian who needs weekend help with meals and meds. He’s a social and cheerful man who loves to chat. Non-smoking household. No smoking on premises. Covid precautions followed. Three references required plus possible background check. Hourly payment commensurate with experience. Approximate hours are 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., with some flexibility. Call (802) 793-5256.

The Loomis’ are a longtime OMP family. Lisa and I were in the same class, starting at Old Mission Peninsula School all the way through Traverse City Central High School. (We both joined journalism groups in high school, and now Lisa is the editor of The Valley Reporter in Waitsfield, Vermont).

Lisa’s sister, Laurie, is married to Tim Holman, and their son and daughter-in-law, Cory and Elise, run Cory Holman’s Pumpkin Patch on the historic Holman Farm, as well as a new farm stand in Old Mission.

Alzheimer’s Walk Planned for ‘Gary’s Gang’

Even though we’re in the midst of a pandemic, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s will still take place this year. However, it will be a little different than previous years when everyone gathered at the Open Space in Traverse City to hear stories, honor loved ones, and begin the walk there.

Instead, each team will be walking their own two-mile route on Sept. 12, the day of the Traverse City Walk. Wendy Warren has been a passionate supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and their Walk to End Alzheimers since losing her husband, Gary, to Early Onset Alzheimer’s several years ago.

This year their team, “Gary’s Gang,” will be walking from the Warren farm on Island View Road south on Center Road to Gary’s parents’ farm at the bottom of Kelly Hill. Wendy says she not only walks for Gary, but also all the people and families affected by this horrific disease, including my sister, Carol, who passed away last year.

Not only do funds raised through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s go towards research, but they also help families with care and support, help to fund Helpline calls (800-272-3900), help advocates to meet with Congress and much more.

Support Gary’s Gang by donating to their Alzheimer’s page here, and also by waving or honking if you see them out walking on Sept. 12.

Here is Wendy Warren and Steve Lewis, my sister Carol’s husband, at the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Traverse City.

GoFundMe Set for Former Peninsula Township Firefighter

On August 21, Randy Rittenhouse, who previously served as our fire chief for the Peninsula Township Fire Department, sustained significant injuries during a roofing job on a house he has been remodeling for him and his daughters.

Randy has a long recovery and many surgeries ahead of him, as his back is broken in seven places, all ribs on his left side are broken, and he has a collapsed lung and a broken/separated shoulder.

Randy is a great guy who not only served the Old Mission Peninsula community, but many others, including multiple fire departments, helping with fundraisers, and always lending a helping hand where needed.

He will be off work for a significant amount of time and will need assistance with all the upcoming challenges he faces. Now it’s our turn to help Randy by donating to a GoFundMe set up for him here.