Student achievements
Four Tampa Bay area students were among approximately 7,700 who graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology during December commencement exercises.
The area students were:
• Mikhail Bagadion of Palm Harbor
• Brandon Folio of New Port Richey
• Liam Maloney of Palm Harbor
• Ayush Pai of Palm Harbor.
Dunedin goes purple for a cause
Downtown Dunedin is turning purple as residents and businesses come together for the eighth annual Paint Dunedin Purple, a weeklong series of events raising awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.
More than 80 downtown businesses have decorated storefronts for the week-long observance, hosted themed activities and organized fundraisers to support Do What You Love to End Alzheimer’s, an initiative that supports Alzheimer’s research, education and caregiver resources.
The event has grown from a single-day effort into a full week of activities designed to engage the community while highlighting the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Events include pickleball, painting workshops, mahjong, pub crawls and community competitions.
The festivities culminate March 28 with an all-day community event featuring a dog parade, purple pub crawl, business specials and family-friendly activities throughout downtown.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. In Florida, more than 580,000 residents are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the second-highest total in the nation. Pinellas County has an estimated 30,400 people or 12 percent over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s.