Waynewood resident kayaking 148 miles to raise money to fight Alzheimer’s

Greg Joachim, right, and friend Ron Miller, left. (Courtesy of Greg Joachim)

Greg Joachim has watched two close family members battle dementia-related diseases. He knows the awful toll that illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia take on a loved one’s mind and body. Like many friends and family of those stricken, he’s felt powerless as the diseases make victims into shells of the people they used to be.

Joachim, a retired Army officer, wanted to fight back. To do something that would fight for a cure and honor his family members in the process. So he decided that this Memorial Day weekend he would kayak 148 miles down the Susquehanna River in a physical and symbolic journey to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association and its Longest Day campaign.

Joachim is not an avid kayaker, but the river held special meaning to his father, who succumbed to Lewy Body Dementia two years ago, and his grandmother, who is currently struggling with Alzheimer’s.

“My grandmother spent her life alongside the Susquehanna River,” Joachim wrote on the Facebook page chronicling his fundraiser. “My father married my mother on its banks and their lives reflected the strength and beauty of its flowing waters. For this reason we have chosen to kayak … from the family farm in central Pennsylvania down the Susquehanna to its endpoint at the Chesapeake Bay.”

Greg Joachim’s grandmother, Frances Keppler, is seen at left.

The “Barn To Bay Paddle” fundraiser has already netted more than $10,000 as of noon Wednesday, and Joachim is aiming to hit $15,000. It’s a challenge the Waynewood resident has eagerly embraced, and he hasn’t lacked for motivation. The site of his grandmother’s suffering, and the memory of his father, Walt — who passed away two years ago — losing his memories as dementia took its toll, are never far from his mind.

“That was a pretty tough way to go. It’s pretty brutal,” Joachim said, noting in particular the hopeless feeling that can sometimes overwhelm loved ones as they watch the illnesses progress, and how it drove him to want to make a difference.

“There’s not much you can do,” Joachim said. “But I thought I could raise some money for the Alzheimer’s Association.”

The decision to trek down the Susquehanna isn’t something Joachim has approached lightly. He’s never kayaked that far, and he’s been training in preparation for the last few months. He’s also enlisted his friends and family to help with the event. Ron Miller, an active-duty Army colonel who lives in the Mount Vernon area, will be paddling along with Joachim. Miller is a more experienced paddler, but more importantly, he’s served as a trusted confidante throughout Joachim’s military career.

“I’ve always trusted and relied on Ron, and I’m glad to have him with me,” Joachim said. 

The journey down the river will start Friday morning at his grandmother’s farmhouse in Milton, Pa. and finish Tuesday in Havre de Grace, Md.  Joachim and Miller will need to navigate their way around six dams along the way — the kayaks have wheels and there are trails around the dams — and they’ll camp out at various spots along the route. On Friday they’ll camp with friends and family who will be following the trip.

There’s also some rain in the forecast for part of the weekend. But Joachim — who started his career as an infantry officer — isn’t too concerned.

“A little rain won’t stop us,” he said. 

To donate to the Barn to Bay Paddle, with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association, visit Joachim’s page on the The Longest Day campaign’s website.