The Gary Abrahamson, Jr. Memory Care Center is pleased to be the recipient of a $20,000 donation to be used toward the Center’s mortgage expenses and ongoing operating costs.
Ken and Pat Gartland presented the $20,000 check, written from the Kenneth and Patricia Gartland Endowment Fund, a fund held by the Community Foundation for Delta County, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula, to the Gary Abrahamson, Jr. Memory Care Center (GAJMCC).
“This generous donation will allow us to take care of the mortgage, and will give the Memory Care Center enough money to cover a year or more of the building’s ongoing operating expenses,” said Mary Uelmen, GAJMCC building manager. The donation was especially needed at this time because the Par-Tee Fundraiser will not be happening this year.”
Ken Gartland described his philosophy of giving and why he donated to the GAJMCC at this time: “My favorite quote is, ‘He who gives when he lives knows where it goes.’”
Gartland, who has owned several businesses in Escanaba since 1962, (and whose sons currently own these growing businesses), said, “We want to give back to the people of this community who supported us over the years; that’s why we’re giving back.”
The building’s namesake, Gary Abrahamson, Jr., son of Patricia and the late Gary Abrahamson, Sr., was an Escanaba native who suffered cardiac arrest and a resulting severe traumatic brain injury after jogging near his Kansas home in 1987. An avid runner, Gary Jr. died on August 18, 2012 at age 61.
The GAJMCC’s Mission is to welcome strong, caring, wholesome partnerships, shared resources, and support, with rich professional training and programming services to the community, especially to adult individuals most vulnerable and in need.
Ken and Pat Gartland believe strongly in the Mission of the Center, and feel it is needed in the community. “Pat and I have both visited the Memory Care Center, and we feel it’s a fantastic place for people to enjoy a day of relaxation or recreation, and it relieves their caretaker for a while and gives them time for a much-needed rest.”
In partnership with Community Action Adult Day Services Program, the GAJMCC, located at 2635 1st Ave. So., serves individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses. The Center also hosts guest speakers to meet the needs of many caregivers and others seeking help in the community.
“These educational presentations, which are always free and open to the public, were temporarily halted due to COVID-19 restrictions,” Uelmen explained. “However, we are starting them up again this spring with a series of dynamic speakers that will be announced soon.”
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