Speech at the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” event on 10/29/16 delivered by Bill Courtney:

Hi.  My name is Bill Courtney and I’m the acting captain of Team Drasa.  Team Drasa is a large and well-organized crew.  We are the third-highest fund-raising team at this walk.

Yet, only two of our team are here this year.  Why?

Because the rest of our team is searching for our muse and inspiration, Nancy Paulikas, our Alzheimer’s patient, who wandered off two Saturdays ago from the LA County Museum of Art in mid-Wilshire and has not been seen since.

You may have seen the flyers about Nancy at the registration tables or elsewhere.  If you do not have a paper flyer, please take a photo of one and capture Nancy’s picture and the Team’s contact info.  The picture is a very good likeness of Nancy.

Our search is using every method we know of:

•         We are coordinating with police and fire departments
•         Hospitals and shelters are called daily to check for Jane Does
•         Flyers have been posted in a widening circle out from the LA County Museum of Art
•         Business surveillance videos are being reviewed
•         Businesses have alerted their employees and security staffs to be on the lookout
•         Every Uber driver in LA County as her picture and info
•         FedEx and UPS have been given flyers
•         Professional search experts have been hired
•         TV Interviews and Newspaper Ads

Still, we have no useful leads.

I am asking you to keep your eyes peeled for Nancy, especially if you are in the Downtown-Mid-Wilshire – Santa Monica corridor.

But, I am speaking to you today, not just on Nancy’s behalf.  At present, we can expect that approximately 60% of all Alzheimer’s patients will wander.  If you are a caregiver or in a support circle, it can happen to you.

You can go to the “wandering” page of the Alzheimer’s Association website.  There, you can learn what to do – and what not to do – to prevent wandering.  You can learn ahead of time how to maximize the chances of a safe return of a wanderer.

Thanks for listening, and thank you for being here today in this great effort to aid the stricken and hasten us into a future free of Alzheimer’s.