The 3rd Annual Lou Blaney Memorial campaign against Alzheimer’s disease is kicking off in Mount Vernon this year.
Scott Oliver, who took over for the Blaney family as donor coordinator, wants to bring the fight against Alzheimer’s to his hometown, where many have been affected by the disease, including Oliver’s grandmother.
The memorial is a sprint car race on the dirt track at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, near the Pennsylvania line, in July of each year. Lou Blaney, for whom the memorial is named, was a DIRT Motorsports and Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Hall of Famer and nationally known race car driver out of the Akron area. A victim of Alzheimer’s disease, Blaney died Jan. 25, 2009.
Oliver became familiar with Blaney as a child while watching his father race. When Blaney passed, Oliver decided it was time to act against Alzheimer’s.
Oliver’s goal for the 2011 Memorial is to raise over $50,000 for Alzheimer’s. In this campaign, however, donors will be able to specify to which Alzheimer’s foundation they would like to contribute to.
To reach his goal, Oliver has teamed up with NASCAR racers Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, who have offered to meet with donors who give a certain level of funds.
Also new to the 2011 campaign is a competition between Oliver and Stewart.
To expand the Alzheimer’s cause to include American veterans and Stewart’s charity organization for children and animals, the Tony Stewart Foundation, Oliver will be competing against Stewart to collect the most donations.
| 
|