Rosemont Forest partners with senior home to support Alzheimer’s research

Fourth grader Harrison Slye, center, with his father, Bradley, and his art teacher, Pam Thompson.

The T-shirt has a yellow smiley face with white wings and red hearts for eyes. The sun shines over a tie-dyed blue background and the words, “Angels for the Cure.”

It’s a winning design for fourth grader Harrison Slye of Rosemont Forest Elementary, which has partnered with Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) senior home to support the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for almost 15 years.

“It feels good to support the Alzheimer’s research,” Harrison said. “It makes me happy to see everyone wearing my shirt.”

Under the leadership of art teacher Pam Thompson, students at Rosemont Forest create the designs, after she provides some important background.

“I talk about Alzheimer’s disease and how there is no cure,” Thompson said. “I talk about how the staff at OLPH take care of people with the disease and we have a chance to help them out.”

The OLPH community selects and then frames the winning designs each year for display in a hallway, said Raul Pernites, the community’s activity coordinator.

Harrison with Raul Pernites, activity coordinator at Our Lady of Perpetual Help

“The partnership we have with Rosemont Forest allows students to show their creativity of their interpretation of ‘Angels for the Cure’,” he said. “We loved Harrison’s design. Our staff and residents wear the T-shirt frequently.”

Residents celebrated Harrison with an ice cream party and invited him as their guest of honor at the Alzheimer’s Association memory walk at Chesapeake City Park on Sept. 20. About 60 T-shirts were made with Harrison’s design.

Thompson said she encourages students to use a limited color palette and keep the design simple.

“The rest is up to the kids,” she said.

Harrison, whose great-grandmother has Alzheimer’s, said he created his piece during art class, using markers and pencils.

“I was sitting in the art room, talking to a fellow art student, and the idea just popped into my head,” he said. Along with the fun of seeing people wear his T-shirt, Harrison believes in supporting the cause.

“The disease makes me sad, and I want to do what I can to help out,” he said.

Principal Stephanie Haus said Rosemont Forest Elementary is pleased to partner with Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

“Each year, our students participate in the center’s T-shirt design contest, creating artwork that promotes kindness, creativity, and community spirit,” she said. “This partnership provides an opportunity to foster compassion and intergenerational connections. It serves as a valuable initiative to strengthen community bonds and demonstrate that creativity and caring are timeless qualities.”