Become a #memorymaniac

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

The Alzheimer Society of Durham Region is tapping into the present and the past for a new social media campaign.

In partnership with Elevated Communications, the society is challenging residents to become a #memorymaniac.

According to Marissa Campbell of Elevated Communications there are numerous motivations to this campaign.

“The goal is to raise awareness for ASDR, help them raise funding, and to reach a new demographic through social media,” Campbell said during a media launch at Durham College.

Reaching younger residents is something the Alzheimer Society has been trying for some time, events and communications manager Michelle Taylor told The Oshawa Express.

“We are constantly looking at how we can engage younger demographics such as millennials and Gen Z,” she notes.

Although dementia is known mostly to affect seniors over 65 years of age, Taylor says the disease is beginning to affect more and more younger people.

There are currently 10,000 people living with dementia in Durham Region, and Taylor says that will “staggeringly double by 2020.”

To become a #memorymaniac, residents are asked to complete an interesting challenge.
While wearing blue clothing, they are asked to upload a video of themselves performing a dance similar to that seen in the music video for the 1983 song “Maniac” by Michael Sembello.

The song hit #1 in the U.S. and Canada, and was featured in the popular movie Flashdance.

Video uploaders are asked to use the hashtags #memorymaniac and #alzdurham, and to nominate family, friends and co-workers.

“Those who do not want to complete the challenge can donate directly to ASDR,” Campbell says.

Taylor says funds raised through the campaign will boost individual and group support, social, recreation, and education programs.

The connection between retaining memories and music is strong, Taylor adds.

“We all have connections to songs. Our brains are hardwired to connect long-term memory with music,” she says. “The part of the brain that is last to be affected by dementia actually holds music. If you are ever with someone affected by severe dementia, if you put pair of headphones on them and play music from their era, it takes them right back.”

Campbell says it took quite a bit of brainstorming to come up with the #memorymaniac campaign.

“It’s not easy to come up with something that is fun and light-hearted enough that hopefully it won’t get misconstrued,” she says.

As 20 per cent of the Alzheimer Society’s funding comes from public donations, Taylor says they are hopeful this will become viral in the vein of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from a few years ago.

To donate to the #memorymaniac challenge, visit alzheimer.ca/en/durham or call 1-888-301-1106.