The Rotary Club of Wimberley hosted speaker, Donna Gordan, a true “force of nature” at their meeting last week. Gordan is the founder of the Annie Ruth Statham “I Care” Memory Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons with Alzheimers Disease. According to the group’s mission statement, it offers community programs that emphasize “memory wellness through art, education, exercise and compassion.”
As a rich example of the proverb, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Gordan’s mother, Anne Ruth Statham, was a person of strong commitment, personality and talent. Stratham’s accomplishments include singing “The Lord’s Prayer” for Pope John Paul II in 1987; performing “The Star Spangled Banner” for the San Antonio Spurs; participating in the role of Harriet Tubman for more than 20 years for the annual Battle of the Flowers parade in San Antonio; graduating with her daughter, Donna, in 1983 from the University of the Incarnate Word; and endowing scholarships in her name for future medical personnel training, researchers and students.
Although Stathem died in 2018 at the age of 84, Gordan’s organization continues her mother’s work by improving the quality of life for seniors and persons dealing with memory issues.
To help stave off the effects of Alzheimers and dementia suffered by 7 million Americans, healthcare providers recommend forms of regular physical and mental activities. The “I Care” program utilizes dance, with elaborate costumes, parades, music making with hand instruments, art creation and other activities.
To learn more about the “I Care” Memory Organization, contact Donna Gordan at icarememoryscholar-ship@ gmail.com.
