Thousands participate in Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association, Colorado Springs Chapter, reports that more than 2,000 people came out for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Colorado Springs Oct. 1 to raise funds to support programs and services for those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, as well as research to find a cure. So far, the fundraising total stands at over $192,000 toward a goal of $235,000.

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Meeting will explore making El Paso County ‘age friendly’

MONUMENT • The Innovation in Aging Collaborative, a nonprofit whose mission is to make El Paso County “age friendly,” will hold a 90-minute listening session at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, 166 2nd St. El Paso County citizens will have the opportunity to contribute their ideas on how the county can best enhance quality of life for its older residents.

IIAC, which is supported by El Paso County and the City of Colorado Springs, will present initial findings from the listening sessions and receive further input at a half-day summit on Non. 17 at City Auditorium in Colorado Springs.

IIAC previously developed and implemented (from 2016 to 2021) a five-year Age Friendly plan for the City of Colorado Springs. Among the many improvements influenced by that process were the creation of an Age Friendly business designation with the Better Business Bureau; redesign of five city parks to better serve older users; the city ordinance governing Accessory Dwelling Units; and creation of a city Commission on Aging and an affordable housing collaborative.

“The 65-and-over age group is El Paso County’s fastest-growing demographic,” said Judith Scott, UCCS assistant professor of nursing and co-chair of IIAC’s Age Friendly steering committee, “so ensuring a high quality of life for our older neighbors is a crucial issue for all of us.”

According to census data, the number of El Paso County residents age 65 and over has more than doubled in the past two decades, to an estimated 99,406 as of 2021.

For more information or to sign up for a listening session or the summit, e-mail info@innovationsinaging.org.

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Education updates

Dean Adelgren, of Monument, was named to the Fall 2021 chancellor’s list at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Torrie Ann Brodish, of Colorado Springs (80908), graduated Aug. 13 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, Baylor Business Fellows, Hankamer School of Business, Magna Cum Laude

The following area students began studies at Biola University in La Mirada, California, this fall: Caleb Bogdanov, of Colorado Springs, majoring in business administration; Lindsey Comer, of Colorado Springs, majoring in Worship Arts; Ashley Newman, of Colorado Springs, majoring in Psychology; Silas Stowell, of Colorado Springs, majoring in Business Administration; and Reed Vaughan, of Colorado Springs, majoring in Bible, Theology and Ministry.

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18 new CASA volunteers sworn in at El Paso County Courthouse

Twelve new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and six new Supervised Exchange & Parenting Time (SEPT) facilitators were sworn in as officers of the court at CASA of the Pikes Peak Region’s swearing-in ceremony Oct.4.

The ceremony took place at the El Paso County Courthouse and was presided over by Fourth Judicial District Judge William Bain. It was the final step taken by these community volunteers after weeks of training which covered topics like trauma, resiliency, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the CASA volunteer.

Now, each new advocate will be appointed to an open case Dependency & Neglect by a judge so that they may speak up for a child and ensure that child’s best interest remains front and center during court proceedings. The new SEPT facilitators will now facilitate court-ordered supervised parenting time for children and their non-custodial parents in the CASA Family Center.

Congratulations new advocates Emily Bryngelson, Robert Dalzell, Irene Davis, Karen Delich, Olivia Ferrara, Brittany Guiter, Layla Hernandez, Suzanne Murray, Donald (Jay) Rakes, Sung Kelly, Alison Takkunen, and Russel Vogel; and congratulations new SEPT facilitators Sara Adcock, Shannon Bender, Rene Courtney, Scott Nos, Jean Paul Laurenceau, and Shelly Roberts-Frost.