Local musical artist Joshua Ingram entertained audiences with a free 12-hour concert outside Hotel Vin and Harvest Hall in Grapevine last Wednesday to raise funds for the North Central Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The aptly-named “ALZ the Songs” event, part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s “The Longest Day” fundraising campaign, was the second time in as many years that Ingram performed a marathon guitar session for the organization, hoping to raise $15,000. Ingram’s unique fundraising strategy first started when he was challenged to showcase his musical talent by playing as many songs as possible from memory without repeating any of them.
“Playing for 12 hours straight wears on the body, and before it’s over I’ll have to superglue my fingers in order to keep playing,” said Ingram, according to a press release.
“Seeing the body breakdown while the mind is still working is a demonstration of the true power of the mind. I believe there will be a cure some day for this terrible disease which robs someone of their mind and our memories. I am proud to work with the Alzheimer’s Association in their mission to end Alzheimer’s and all forms of dementia,” Ingram said.
The event was a musical spectacle featuring Ingram’s extraordinary guitar skills and an extensive repertoire of songs.
Attendees were enthralled by a wide range of musical genres throughout the 12-hour performance, which served as a platform to educate attendees about Alzheimer’s disease.
Roughly 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. One in three seniors dies with the disease or another form of dementia, which has recently been tied to eating too much ultra-processed foods in at least one study, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The illness costs the nation $345 billion annually — and could rise to as much as $1 trillion by 2050.
