SUPPORTING HILARITY FOR CHARITY IN A CROWN & SASH

Red Carpet Photo
Copyright:BMW Photography

 By:

Brooke Morgan Westlake-Kelley, 

MS. Nevada,

2015 Woman of Achievement

Saturday October 17^th My husband and I attended the annual variety comedy show Hilarity for Charity, held at the Hollywood Palladium. If you’re not familiar with this wonderful fundraiser/event, I’m happy to share with you the who, what, when, where and why I support this event.

“about hilarity for charity

This Beauty Queen Drinks
WINE
& I like it Red :)
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Happy Bar Mitzvah-Franco!
Copyright: BMW Photography

Hilarity for Charity® (HFC) is a movement led by comedian Seth Rogen to inspire change and raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease among the millennial generation.”

This year’s 4th annual variety show Hilarity for Charity featured James Franco’s Bar Mitzvah, presented by Funny or Die and go90.  Comedians who entertained the packed Palladium included Bill Hader, Kyle Kinane, Al Madrigal, Ron Funches, Justin Willman, host Seth Rogen, and James Franco, and musicians HAIM and Miley Cyrus also performed a four-song set.  

Hollywood Palladium
Hilarity for Charity-2015
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The Start:  This year’s Hilarity for Charity event was well organized and flowed nicely from start to finish.  Cocktails, food trucks, red carpet, and a beautiful BMW, were part of the pre-party that took place outside the Hollywood Palladium before the show started.  My husband Scott and I walked the red carpet for some photos. We posed  in front of a large poster of James’ Franco’s face, and we got to sign a bigger face of  Franco’s inside the Palladium wishing him a happy Bar Mitzvah. 

Posing in front of the awesome 2016 BMW, & Taking 
Official Pageant Photos with guests
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(God Bless This HFC Volunteer)
(He is a primary caretaker for his Grandma)

        Copyright:BMW Photography

Once the sunset and the red carpet photos of the stars were snapped and interviews were given, we were all gathered up to go inside and take our seats. A lovely dinner table awaited for us. Scott and I got our seats and were treated to a very different variety comedy show (After all this is not the kind of show you cover your ears for). We had five other ladies that joined our table. To my left, I made a new friend from Canada named Deanna who had flown in for the show and to get a few days of vacation in Southern California. To my husband’s right, two lovely ladies from Minnesota had also flown in for the show. Across from us were two other lovely ladies, but we did not get a chance to speak with them.

The Show:  The grand entrance from the one and only, comedian and actor superstar Seth Rogen, dancing and singing “Fiddler on the Roof”. The room filled with laughter as we all knew we were in for the type of comedy that is always outside of the box.  After all, with theme for this year being James Franco’s Bar Mitzva, and knowing the types of funny, crazy movies these two have done, than you know they get crazy with their comedy.. 

After the grand entrance by Seth, we received critical doses of comedy from Bill Hader, Kyle Kinane, Al Madrigal, and Ron Funches. I love comedy, and so for me this I actually consider medical critical does for me; however something that set this show apart this year was the magic from Justin Willman.

(Sign the Franco FACE. Thanks Hilarity for Charity! James's NOSE is hot when printed bigger!)
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Hollywood Palladium-Hilarity for Charity 2015
Copyright: BMW Photography

Favorite Performance:  
Justin Willman’s was one of my favorite acts of the night. He drew random people from the crowd and asked them to think of numbers, while another volunteer on stage up the numbers on a iphone calculator until they read 10,172,015,840., This whole time, another volunteer from the audience was sitting on an envelope that Justin had given at the beginning of his act. I felt like he was MacGyver of the magic industry. The envelope had quote inside. So we were all perplexed to where this trick was heading when all the sudden he used the quote and went over to the dry erase board. It turns out the number represented the date: October 17, 2015, and when Justin asked everyone to look at their iPhones, the time was exactly 8:40 p.m. The delivery and execution of his magic was impactful with the quote.  It brought me to my toes to clap, and gave me chills when the end trick was revealed. On a side note, he met his wife 4 years ago at the first Hilarity for Charity. How cute is that?

James Getting Clipped!
Hollywood Palladium
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Getting back to the show’s theme We watched James Franco become an “official” man by his on-stage (fake) circumcision by Jeff Goldbum, with an up-close look at the foreskin of a pre-taped video of Zac Efron as the “foreskin”.  That event had everyone laughing. As mentioned before this is not the kind of show to cover the ears and eyes at because with Seth and James, you never know what these two will dream up.

Bill-Thank you for taking a photo of me while
you were dancing on stage. Tag me!
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The auction was very entertaining as the Auctioneer and movie star Bill Hadler were very funny at raising money for the cause. Bill was truly on point with comments to people who auctioned for items. And this is critical because people bid hundreds of thousands of dollars on the various packages, and this funding will go toward combating Alzheimer’s and raising awareness.

Ken & Nikki Dodson. HUGS & Prayers to you both!
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Touching Moments: I cried twice during the night, and my poor husband kept handing me these nice imprinted napkins to wipe my tears…. The first cry session hit when they showed the on-screen commercial to the audience in regards to Alzheimer’s. The second tear session hit while listening to Nikki Dodson speaking about her husband. He is 37 years old and is living with Alzheimer’s, and she reached out to Hilarity for Charity a year or so ago about her story.

Miley Cyrus Performs for Hilarity for Charity
Hollywood Palladium
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(James- Don't worry. I think this was a fake "Circumcision")
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​Favorite Moment: 

Moving into the music jams for the night, we were then greeted with ear filling music performances by HAIM and then a surprise performance by Miley Cyrus in a blue thong swimsuit wearing the Star of David. I looked over and said to my husband “Wow, I was not prepared for this part.” People got up from tables and were moving to the music, so I decided to go to the front of the stage. Now would Miley have been my first person as a pick to listen to? No, but let me tell you, her vocals were amazing. I  believe she sounds better in person then on the radio as you are able to hear her fully range of vocals. That lady can sing and it was beautiful to hear. Towards the end of Miley’s performance, people were let on stage.; I thought “Hum should I go for it?” and then I thought “Na, I am enjoying the moment being right front and center.” Plus I am pretty sure it would not have looked good with me trying to hop up on stage in an evening gown, tiara, and sash on.

(Miley- I actually wanted to rescue you after
I took this photo. You look scared of these fans
In a good way :)
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I snapped many photos with my new iPhone and got some pretty comical shots. Jame’s Franco fixin the zipper, Miley looking terrified with some of the fans getting extra close to her to take selfies, Bill Hadler busting a move with Miley’s final song, and then the darling couple of the night – Seth and Lauren Miller- Rogen thanking everyone for coming to the show. 

Lauren Miller-Rogen & Seth Rogen
Copyright: BMW Photography

Lauren Miller-Rogen, Seth Rogen & James Franco
Copyright: BMW Photography

Loved finding this photo on Twitter...
Copyright: Hilarity for Charity

The After Party & BEST HIGH LIGHT: The night continued with an after party on the second floor of the Pallidum. My husband and I danced and mingled with new people, took photos in the photo booth, and learned more about why people support Hilarity for Charity. And then it happened! Nikki Dodson and her husband came to the party.  I told my husband who just came to the party and said I have go meet them in person.  I had to give Nikki a hug and tell her how amazing she was and that I cried in my seat and felt bad. When she was on stage I kept thinking of my grandma and all the many families that have gone through this painful, horrible, rotten disease.

Final numbers: Total raised $2.5 MILLION!

END NOTE: WHY DO I SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S FUNDRAISERS AND CAUSES.

(Shout out to our new friend, Deanna)
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(look to the left.. cracking up! I made it in the picture).
Group Pic: Hilary for Charity-2015

To my readers:  I am a wife, mother, worker, business owner, and an Alzheimer’s representative for the State of Nevada on several different levels. I am a Ms. Nevada Woman of Achievement 2015 title holder getting ready for nationals next month, Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. I am also a Volunteer for the Northern Nevada Northern California Alzheimer’s Association, and at the annual Alzheimer’s Walk a  team captain for my team “Remember My Photo. “Recently, I became an volunteer for Alzheimer’s Advocacy Reporting & Trends appreciation, where I am a member on Sen. Dean Heller’s Team. I take free portraits of Alzheimer’s patients, and also have a series of photography’s called “Purple Dignity” where I am using my photography as an art to shine awareness on this disease. http://bmwphotoproject.blogspot.com/2015/03/series-1-purple-dignity.html

My personal story related to this disease:

My Alzheimer’s journey started in 2002 when my grandma was diagnosed and a portion of that journey ended on February 24, 2012 at 4:25pm while I was holding my grandma as she took her last breathe. (ugh now I am getting all teary eyed). Here is my story:

http://bmwphotoproject.blogspot.com/2013/01/i-am-shifting-gears-for-my-blog-all-for.html

#ENDALZ #WIPEOUTALZ #REMEMBERMYPHOTO #BEVERLYJEAN #BMWPHOTOGRAPHY #AlzSucks #Francsbarmitzvah #HFC 
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Alzheimer's Walk-Northern Nevada Northern California-2015

My Walking Team "Remember My Photo" 2015

"MY LADY CREW"

This year’s walk seemed to come sooner than last year, but that could because my schedule with work, photography, volunteer work and family work have been keeping me 

busy this year.

My day started early. I arrived at 6am. This year I am happy to say I got an official “Committee Member” shirt that I had the honor of wearing all day. So I was not to mad at myself for noting getting custom t-shirts made for my walk team “Remember My Photo” This year’s team mates that joined me were: Kathy (friend from work), her friend Kim, Jamie (my realtor), my husband & son, and William, his daughter and grandson (clients of mine from my photography business.) My team raised well over $235.00 with a couple of awesome outside donations. 

For: Grandma Bev, Aunt Nomie, & Cousin Mike

The Finish Line

I began my day at the registration area until the ceremony. I got to help many people come in and get registered for the walk, collect extra donations, share with them the day’s events and most importantly thank them for coming and for raising money for a disease that still had no cure.   Similar to last year’s ceremony, there were honorees on stage for each colored flower. I did not meet these individuals this year, but heard from my team about their amazing stories.

Reno, Sparks ALZ Walk 2015

Ladies Taking a "Selfie"

I was hopeful during this walk to not become so emotional in regards to losing my Grandma . I am proud to say I walked this year with my head held high. I was truly touched on how well the walk came together. The goal for the walk this year was to raise $185,000.00. After the walk the total that was raised was $171,731.22. But the fundraising does not stop there. I imagine we will hit our goal on or before the end of 2015. This year we had 107 teams and 1,021 walkers. I would say so far we are doing a stellar job as a team effort to help end Alzheimer’s.  Please join me next year as I walk to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

My Husband and I.
#ENDALZ #PURPLEDIGNITY #REMEMBERMYPHOTO #BMWPHOTOGRAPHY #BEVERLYJEAN #WIPEOUTALZ

33 Things People Affected by Alzheimer’s Wish Others Understood

Every 67 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It is now the sixth leading cause of death in the country. Because the condition is so prevalent, we figured it’s time to clear up some of the misunderstandings surrounding it. The Mighty teamed up with Hilarity for Charity, a part of the Alzheimer’s Association, to ask our readers affected by Alzheimer’s disease, what they wish the world could understand about it.

This is what they had to say:

1. “It’s not a part of getting older. There’s a misconception that as you get older you become forgetful and Alzheimer’s is just a continuation of aging, but it’s not. It’s a terrible disease, not a part of aging. It’s not something that’s inevitable or just happens. It’s something we’re trying to fight to bring awareness to because with funding and research there can be hope.” — Stephanie Vasquez

2. “Be patient with those who suffer. Repeating and forgetting require compassionate responses, not exasperated ones. The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” — Jamie Calandriello

3. “I wish people understood how scary it must be for the person going through it.” — Tbird O’Leary

4. “The disease is still progressing… even though helpful medication exists, there’s still no cure, and we have to keep fighting to find one.” — Sally Noelle

5. “Just because he looks fine at this moment doesn’t mean it will be the same in five minutes, tonight or tomorrow.” — Nikki Dodson

6. “[People with Alzheimer's] can’t change the way it makes them act anymore than a cancer patient can keep the cancer cells from spreading.” — Brandyn Shoemaker

7. “I wish the world knew how heartbreaking it is to stand beside the woman who was the first one to ever call you by your name and realize she doesn’t know who you are. I wish they knew the joy it brings when she suddenly looks up at you after you’ve sat there for hours massaging her hands with lotion and says, ‘I love you, kid.’ It’s extremely hard to mourn the loss of my lifetime companion, my mother, while she’s still alive.” — Nancy Elizabeth Faram

8. “Rational thinking is gradually lost with Alzheimer’s, so don’t try to reason with someone with this disorder. Instead, distract them in as gentle a manner as possible. If they get angry or defensive, listen until they’ve said what they need to say. And remember, each time you interrupt or argue, you increase the duration of the conversation without resolving the issue.” — Rex Bierley

9. “It’s not simply forgetting things and people. It’s delusions, hallucinations, anger, poor judgment and personality altering. These things can come and go and the person suffering and their loved ones are on a continual and unknown roller coaster.” — Kimberly Crawford Bowman

10. “They’re not doing this on purpose.” — Denise Christy Reich

11. “The reality of this disease is that there’s no remission, there’s no stopping it, there’s no slowing it down, there’s no cure and there are no survivors.” — Suzanne Tackett

12. “One moment there’s clarity, and they look at you lovingly and say your name. A second later, they look at you frightened or confused because you look familiar or they don’t know you at all.” — Samwise Gamegee Works

13. “Even though behaviors have changed — the person you remember is still in there.” — Roxzan Sukola

14. “It’s an epidemic.” — ljsharp

15. “It’s not just memory loss. It robs the person of who they are and the ability to do the most basic tasks.” — Janice La Bella

16. “Losing some memories doesn’t make the still present ones any less important and meaningful.” — Molly Halla

17. “I wish people wouldn’t ask how my mom is doing or if she’ll get better. I wish people understood that Alzheimer’s is currently a terminal disease and that caregivers have to watch their loved ones waste away in front of their eyes. It’s often a painful thing to discuss [because] every time they ask, the person is worse than before.” — Michelle Raza

18. “[It's] devastating when a person who helped raise you completely forgets who you are.” — Odalys De Leon

19. “The caregiver, much like with any disability, carries a huge load. They need our support and love.” — Walking With Drake

20. “It’s not your fault.” — Rain Mom

21. “It’s the worst. People can’t handle it so they stay away. It’s isolating and lonely.” — Lisa Begley

22. “Although your loved one may not remember you or might do things that frustrate you, this is the time when he or she needs you the most. Your loved one needs you to care, to advocate, to be patient, to love and to be vigilant. Don’t turn your back on them.” — Angie Nunez Merryman

23. “I wish doctors would realize that the person with Alzheimer’s has thoughts and feelings about their care. Look the patient in the eye instead of talking to a family member and asking them questions as if the person who has Alzheimer’s isn’t there.” — Cynthia Adams McGrath

24. “You can’t explain what it’s like to mourn someone who’s still alive unless you’ve experienced it firsthand. It truly is the long goodbye.” — Jessica Seay-Soto

25. “[It's] important to remember those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s as they were before the disease and to keep that person in mind when learning to cope with the disease.” — alib13

26. “The person who has Alzheimer’s knows that pieces of the puzzle are missing, and they are terrified.” — sheilamcphierasak

27. “To lose a loved one is always sad, but losing a loved one bit by bit is so sad. It’s horrible to watch someone you love struggling to find words and trying to remember things they realize they should know. You feel so helpless seeing someone looking lost, and you try to take away that fear.” — Jeanette Maxwell

28. “I wish people understood the unique experience of grief and loss that comes with Alzheimer’s. My dad was 64 when he was diagnosed, and we’ve been living the loss of him for four years now, even though he is still in our presence. I can still hold my dad’s hand, but I miss him every day.” — Anna Copley

29. “Alzheimer’s patients are people, not patients. They are husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, bosses, employees, sons and daughters, all of whom were robbed of time and the ability to continue to chase their dreams and live their lives freely.” – nicoleadeline

30. “Referencing ‘The Notebook’ doesn’t mean anything to me. [My mother] not recognizing me is the least of my worries because she no longer knows how to swallow.” — fancyy77

31. “It can happen to anyone, young and old… my dad was 49 when diagnosed.” — karli_anne1012

32. “I wish other people would understand that the person affected by Alzheimer’s is not a child or a toddler, as I have heard people casually say to me. Yes, they have childlike qualities, but people have to understand this individual is still an adult, and you can’t treat them as you would a kid. My mom can notice when she’s not getting the respect she deserve.” — a11ofthelights1832

33. “They may not be able remember who we are, but they feel us just the same.” — Amanda Dillon

For Alzheimer's patients, resveratrol brings new hope

By Carina Storrs, special to CNN

(CNN)Over the years, resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grapes, chocolate and red wine, has been touted as a possible antidote to Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes and many other conditions. Now, the first study in people with Alzheimer's suggests that the compound, when taken in concentrated doses, may actually have benefit in slowing progression of this disease.

Researchers at 21 medical centers across the United States looked at the safety and effectiveness of taking high doses of resveratrol in an experimental pill -- equal to the amount found in 1,000 bottles of red wine -- in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's.

The researchers looked at several biomarkers of Alzheimer's, and found that people who took up to four pills a day for a year had higher levels of amyloid-beta proteins in their spinal fluid than those who took a placebo (control) pill.

Although accumulation of amyloid-beta in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, patients actually have lower levels of this protein outside of the brain. The study finding suggests that resveratrol could help change the balance from amyloid-beta buildup in the brain to circulating protein in the body.

Even if concentrated forms of resveratrol pills like the kind used in this study were available, it's too soon to recommend going out and getting some just yet.

"The study is encouraging enough that we should certainly go ahead and do a [larger] clinical trial because we showed that it is safe and does have significant effects on Alzheimer's biomarkers," said Dr. R. Scott Turner, professor of neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center and lead investigator of the study, which was published on Friday in the journal Neurology.

The main goal of the current study, which included 119 patients, was to find out whether high doses of resveratrol could be safe. The only small concern they found was that patients taking resveratrol lost about two pounds during the one-year study, and weight loss is already a problem with Alzheimer's, Turner said. In comparison, the control group gained about 1 pound.

Much more research is needed

The study was not big enough to answer some important questions, such as whether patients taking resveratrol actually had lower levels of amyloid-beta plaques in their brain, and most importantly, whether they experienced less decline in their mental faculties.

A large, phase 3 clinical trial getting at these issues could start in as soon as a year, Turner said. (The current study was a phase 2 trial, typically meant to evaluate safety and get an early look at efficacy of a new drug.)

Related: Is Alzheimer's disease preventable?

Even for the relatively small number of participants in the study, the researchers did see indication that resveratrol could improve cognition. Patients in this group had slight improvements in their ability to carry out daily tasks, such as remembering to brush their teeth. And anecdotally, patients who took resveratrol told the researchers that they felt like they were maintaining their mental ability. (Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was taking resveratrol and who was taking placebo.)

"To really get a better feel of how effective this could be you really need to do larger studies for longer periods of time (such as several years)," said James A. Hendrix, director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer's Association, a research and advocacy organization. "Other potential therapies we've had had some early exciting results and then they didn't pan out in later trials," he added.

If resveratrol does pan out in further research, it may add to the medications that are currently available, such as Aricept and Exelon, which slow, but do not halt, progression of the disease, Hendrix said.

Ultimately, it will probably be a combination of several drugs, as well as diet, exercise and social and mental stimulation that help stave off the rapid mental decline that is often associated with Alzheimer's, he added.

Antioxidant may be most effective in combination

This is one of the first studies to look not only at these biomarkers, but also the metabolites of resveratrol in spinal fluid, to show that resveratrol is probably getting into the brain, said Dr. Giulio M. Pasinetti, who is the Saunders Family Chair and professor in neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. However, he added that changes in biomarkers may not necessarily lead to mental and behavioral improvements, which larger studies will address.

In addition, resveratrol on its own might not end up working as well as a combination of resveratrol and other polyphenol compounds found in red wine, grape juice and grape seed extract, which could help people at risk of Alzheimer's and those who already have mild symptoms, Pasinetti said.

Related: Healthy diet may improve memory, says study

The current study used high doses of resveratrol to increase the chances that enough of the compound got into the brain to have an effect. But for now, the best way to get resveratrol is probably through diet. One glass of red wine a day could help those with mild Alzheimer's, "but no more than that," Turner said.

There is probably little benefit in taking currently available resveratrol supplements, even if they claim to contain levels similar to the ones used in this study. "The things that are on the market are not regulated, and you don't know how much is in them," Turner said. "There could be 500 milligrams, which is what they advertise [researchers gave participants in the study four 500 milligram pills a day] or there could be zero," he said.

Previous research has suggested that people who consume diets rich in resveratrol do not have lower rates of cancer, heart disease and other conditions.