It's Storytime at The Shed for Alzheimer's Family Services

By Hannah Morris | Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort held their seventh annual themed dinner Saturday night at The Shed in Port Royal. Similar to last year,  “Beaufort Stories Your Momma Never Told You” was a smashing time indeed. In addition, however, this event was slightly more special than years previous in that it was also the 25th anniversary of the organization, complete with a cake and all. Laughter to the point of tears rang through The Shed, alongside delicious food, and some very snazzy music. All of these different components set the stage for another perfect Beaufort fundraiser for a great cause.

If you have never been to The Shed in Port Royal, you are honestly missing out on one of the most unique structures in the area. Nestled in downtown Port Royal on Paris Ave, The Shed is one of the most matchless structures for weddings and events from its concrete floors to its industrial style beams along the ceiling. It is certainly a blank slate which the AFSGB used to transform the room into a beautifully decorated canvas of purple, white, and black from the tablecloths to the lighting.

The evening was prefaced by a silent auction featuring many different packages and exceptional objects. The food was most definitely aIt's Storytime at The Shed for Alzheimers Family Services highlight of the evening, bringing out support from local favorites like Paninis, The Foolish Frog, Emily’s, Breakwater, and even a taste of Gullah food from “We Island” Gumbo n’ Tings.

After piling plates high with fabulous local cuisine that was sure to please any pallet, many different speakers came to the stage to give different perspectives and ideas of Beaufort and our surrounding area known as the Lowcountry, offering a keyhole into the city that many transplants and the younger generations might not have the pleasure of already knowing.

A fourth generation native of St. Helena Island, Ron Daise has happy memories and immense pride for the culture and city in which he was raised. Having Ron Daise, star of the TV series Gullah Gullah Island take to the stage was a real treat for me personally as I remember watching the show often as a child. His knowledge and connections to the Gullah culture is vast and impressive, giving the audience a true look into the “Gullah Life.”

Following Mr. Daise, three different speakers, known as “The Unreliables” took to the stage to give their collaboration of stories, and reminiscent tales of Beaufort. Steven Keyserling, Bernie Schein, and Harry Chakides each shared tales of growing up in our favorite It's Storytime at The Shed for Alzheimer's Family Services of Greater Beaufort  Photo by Eric R. Smithcoastal town, and the crowd was both receptive and delighted at the stories progressed, and at the end given a chance to ask questions and share stories of their own, too.

The event is one of two events held annually by the ASFGB to help bring awareness to Alzheimer’s disease; a disease that can bring stress to families all over the country, including here in Beaufort. ASFGB has a mission statement “to provide immediate support, respite or relief care, and education for Beaufort area families affected by Alzheimer’s Disease or another form of memory loss. We offer a variety of programs and services designed to help make your job easier.” And they work each and every day to achieve this statement and better the lives of their patients here in our hometown.

Arlene Hull, Director of the ASFGB was excited for the event, and elated to be a part of an organization full of 25 years of success. She spoke heavily of their other upcoming events, including an art auction coming this fall featuring work completed Alzheimer’s patients seen at their facility. Comparing the work to Picasso, and stating just how amazing each of the pieces are, she emphasized that this is a “must attend event” for Beaufort. You can keep up with the organization’s latest events and activities by visiting their Facebook page  or their website at http://www.afsgb.org.

Hope to see all of you at the 8th Annual event hosted by the Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort next year!

It's Storytime at The Shed for Alzheimers Family Services