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Last year, we packed ballrooms in Utica and Johnson City for our first A Night to Remember events. It seemed that everyone who attended stopped to tell us that they would be back next year. Today’s the day to get your calendars ready and make plans to join us for 2010.

A Night to Remember returns for the new year in new locations. Join us in the Mohawk Valley on April 9, from 7-10 p.m., at Valentino’s Banquet Hall in New Hartford. In the Southern Tier, join us from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on April 29 at The Binghamton Regency.

This is the second annual event in both areas. A Night to Remember is aimed at pampering local women, who sacrifice spending time on themselves as they juggle busy personal, family and professional lives. It features local therapists and aestheticians providing massages, manicures and other services. Businesses, including jewelers, artisans and clothing shops, will display their products to the more than 250 people expected to attend. A new VIP ticket level offers exclusive benefits, which are outlined at our website. In the Mohawk Valley, the event is presented by Brookdale Senior Living Clare Bridge Clinton and Villas Sherman Brook. Susquehanna Nursing and Rehabilitation Center presents the Southern Tier edition.

General admission tickets for both events are $50 and VIP tickets are $75. A Night to Remember tickets can be purchased online or over the phone. Call (315) 617-4025 x117 in the Mohawk Valley or (607) 785-7852 x106 in the Southern Tier.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we checked in last with our Memory Walk totals. We are pleased to report that we have topped the $328,000 mark as of Tuesday. This is the best Memory Walk season the Central New York Chapter has ever had and the third consecutive year that we’ve broken our own fundraising record. Each individual walk smashed its own records

Mohawk Valley: $43,500
St. Lawrence: $33,300
Jefferson-Lewis: $57,300
Southern Tier: $72,750
Greater Syracuse: $121,500

The hard work of our committees and walkers continues to pay off. We plan to close our online fundraising sites on October 30 at 3 p.m., so get any last minute funds posted so that they will be counted!

We’re happy to share coverage of Saturday’s Memory Walk:

• News10Now
• The Post-Standard

Just because walk is over does not mean the money stops coming in. Between matching gifts, mail-in donations and visitors to our website, we continue to raise funds for each and every walk.

Through Noon on Saturday, here is where we stand for each walk:

• Mohawk Valley: $42,940
• St. Lawrence: $33,117
• Jeff-Lewis: $54,512
• Southern Tier: $69,82
• Greater Syracuse: $117,330

All said and done, the Central New York Chapter had its most successful Memory Walk season ever — $317,720.

We will keep updating you over the next couple of weeks on how we stand. Remember, donations dated through October 31 will count towards this year’s walks!

On behalf of the Central New York Chapter staff, we thank each and every one of you for time and support.

We’ve tried to keep you in the loop from each walk site on our Twitter account. Today, that just wasn’t possible. We needed every available hand to work with the more than 800 walkers that packed the Inner Harbor at this year’s walk — our 19th annual event in Syracuse.

The walk set a new fundraising record in ‘09, topping last year’s total. With funds still coming in online, we currently stand at $117,320.

Today’s walk was dedicated in memory of Bob Davidson. Bob passed away on September 2. He was a caregiver for his wife Helen, who died from Alzheimer’s in March. Bob was also the team captain for The Gang, a group of support group members from our bi-weekly meeting at The Hearth at James. The Gang was the top fundraising family and friends team, amassing $9,675.

Other award winners included:

• Top fundraising youth: Emily Salenger, Team Salenger, $540.
• Top fundraising adult: Betty Sutliff, $2,510.
• Top fundraising adult, runner-up: Penny Mulligan, $2,420.
• Top fundraising team, health-related: Loretto, $5,088.
• Top fundraising team, corporate: Lockheed Martin: $5,325.

United Methodist Homes’ record-breaking performance set the pace for today’s Southern Tier Memory Walk. UMH, which was also the presenting sponsor, became the first Memory Walk team in CNY Chapter history to raise more than $25,000 by amassing a team total of $28,440. Overall, the walk raised $68,359 with more than 510 walkers at Otsiningo Park.

Pictured are two of our most devoted Memory Walk participants. Brianna Hulbert, left) and Bert White have taken part in Memory Walk for more years than any of us at the chapter can remember. Brianna is a student at Newfield Central School and annually wins the top youth fundraiser award. Bert, who lives in Candor, is a past Memory Makers award winner, and has won the top adult fundraising title on a number of occasions.

Today’s award winners included:

• Top youth fundraiser: Brianna Hulbert, The Memory Bank, $380.
• Top adult fundraiser: Bert White, $1,760.
• Top adult fundraiser, runner-up: Shannon Delker, $1,501.
• Top friends and family team: Team Bert White, $2,175.
• Top corporate team: Levene, Gouldin & Thompson, $1,300.

We shattered another set of records today in Watertown. The Jeff-Lewis Memory Walk, presented by Samaritan Keep Home, raised $55,020. This beats the walk’s previous best, set last year, by approximately $10,000.

Pictured (left to right) are Northern Regional Director Tricia Bannister,  Diane Charlebois and Chapter CEO Cathy James. Diane was the top individual fundraiser, with more than $2,300. Each year, Diane and her family walk (team Prosper’s Gang) in memory of her father, Prosper Charlebois, who died from Alzheimer’s. Other award winners include:

• Top fundraising youth: Ryot Kern, Prosper’s Gang, $100.
• Top fundraising adult: Diane Charlebois, Prosper’s Gang, $2,377.
• Top family/friend team: Team Vallelunga (Peggy DiStefano), $9,109.
• Top health-related team: Samaritan Keep Home Walkers (Beth Loveland), $4,932.
• Top corporate team: Dexter/Brownville United Methodist Churches (Rev. Patricia Walz), $1,434.

And something new this year…watch the announcement of the grand total on our YouTube channel!

The Hamilton College swimming and diving teams did their part in the fight against Alzheimer’s last weekend at the Mohawk Valley Memory Walk. Representatives from the Continentals raised more than $700.

Learn more about their efforts at the college’s website.

Pictured is Memory Walk Volunteer Diane Charlebois who is selling raffle tickets for this year’s Memory Walk quilt raffle. Diane makes the quilt each year in memory of her father Prosper Charlebois, who died from Alzheimer’s disease. Funds from the raffle support the Saturday’s Memory Walk in Watertown. Tickets will be available Saturday at the Watertown Municipal Fairgrounds for $1 or six tickets for $5. The drawing takes place following the walk.

The walkers from United Methodist Homes will hold a fish fry on September 25 to support their Memory Walk efforts. Doug’s Fish Fry will be selling takeout dinners and sandwiches from UMH’s Elizabeth Church Manor location at 863 Front St. in Binghamton. People can stop by between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to pick up a dinner and support the Alzheimer’s Association.