Each year in February, Subzero Heroes dive into the freezing water of Berean Lake in Highland, all for a good cause. The participants donate the money they raise prior to and during the event to the Alzheimer’s Association, whose stated mission is to, “lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection and maximizing quality care and support.”

This year the top five fundraisers were Terence Grafmuller $5,180; Carmine Ribaudo $3,665; David Sobel $3,000; Theresa Grafmuller $2,611; and Marcia Fink $1,640.

The top five teams were Strike Out ALZ at $21,475; Lloyd Police $5,940; Cold Crusaders $3,485; Kiki’s Kandles $3,420 and Boyce Blazers $2,670.

Since 2019 Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa has taken the plunge and he came with Deputy Sheriff Lt. Colin Reynolds and Undersheriff Jim Mullen.

Figueroa said this event, “recognizes the issues and the numbers are astonishing of how many people now have Dementia or Alzheimer’s. It runs in my family, my aunts on my mother’s side and my grandmother, who was in her late 90s.” He said putting our elders in homes leaves him with a “bad taste because when we were young they took care of us and now it’s up to us to take care of them. So I jump for them.”

Lt. Reynolds has participated for the past 4 years, “stemming back to when I was the PBA President and I continued to do it. It is a wonderful day to be out here to show support.”

Undersheriff Mullen said, “It is a great organization and it’s nice to be a part of this and give back once in awhile.”

Lloyd Police Chief James Janso brought a team with him for the first time in 8 years. He put out the word in his department and six members signed up.

“We have a great team and I do it for my maternal grandfather George Huston who died from Alzheimer’s. He lived with us, I grew up with him so I’ll dive for him today,” Janso said. “It’s for a great cause and hopefully they are close to finding a cure and any money we raise that goes towards it is a better day.” Janso carried a laminated picture of his grandfather in his pocket when he took the plunge.

Ulster County Legislator Gina Hansut came to support everyone who is jumping.

“I’ve been coming for years and I wish I had the audacity to jump but I don’t, but I like to support everything in my community,” she said. “Hats off to everybody who does this, I think it’s wonderful.”

David Sobel is the Executive Director of the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and has taken the plunge himself for the last eight years.

Sobel said today there are nearly 7 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States and that is predicted to double by 2050 and there are 55 million world-wide.

Sobel said currently, “we are in the era of treatment, which is a big deal. Until three years ago we didn’t have anything to slow the progression of the disease and were only treating the symptoms.”

The first drug used was Atacadmiat, “and that was controversial because the efficacy was in question, it was very expensive and had a lot of side-effects.”

Sobel said Lecanemab followed, which was better.

“It is on an upward trajectory and now Donanemab is the latest one and each gets better than the last one,” he said. “It is an infusion drug and it is not a pill, so you have to go to a doctor’s office, hospital or treatment center and you get a needle stuck in like a blood infusion.”

Sobel said although these treatments do not change a patient’s life-expectancy, “they extend the time you have with better cognition, maybe by 6 to 10 months. But if you are going to get the chance to walk your daughter down the aisle, that can mean all the world to you.”
Sobel said the ALZ Association is working to ensure that people have access to these treatments if they want it.

“It is not for everyone because there are still side-effects,” he said.

Sobel said the ALZ Association, “fought really hard last year for Medicare to cover these drugs, but there is still a co-pay.”

Sobel said treatments are getting better and there is hope for a cure. He pointed out that his organization is the number one, non-profit that funds Alzheimer’s and Dementia research and is number 3 only behind the U.S. and Chinese governments.

“Right now we have $420 million out there in the field for research and there are more than 1,100 different projects in 56 countries,” he said.