It may have been an unusually cloudy day for San Diego, but the weather did not deter the community from coming together to raise critical funds for the programs at Alzheimer’s San Diego. The grand total for the 2025 Visionary Luncheon & Auction came in at nearly $200,000 – a record for this event! Hosted at Coasterra with a beautiful view of downtown skyscrapers, guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres and an open bar while bidding on fun silent auction packages like curated bottles of wine, golf getaways, Padres tickets, Italian dinners and Porsche racing experiences.
After the silent auction, guests were seated for lunch and the main program. This year’s event honored Marcella Lee, a beloved CBS Channel 8 News Anchor and outspoken activist for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia awareness. There was not a dry eye in the room as guests watched Marcella accept her award and talk about her journey with Alzheimer’s San Diego as she learned to care for her amazing mother Lucy.
Marcella touched on the feelings that many caregivers experience while they care for their person living with dementia: not wanting to face the reality of the disease affecting those we love. As she put it, “I wanted to crawl under a rock and not acknowledge that [my mom Lucy] had Alzheimer’s disease.” But Marcella’s coworkers wouldn’t let her hide from her reality any longer. Marcella was assigned a story at Alzheimer’s San Diego to report on the Social Activities Program. In her words, her time spent at the organization was “the most amazing uplifting experience,” and from there her connection grew. With the help of Alzheimer’s San Diego, Marcella developed a new mindset: “it’s going to be challenging, it’s going to be difficult but we are going to be ok.”
After everyone pulled out their tissues to dry their eyes, auctioneer Clint Bell kicked off the live auction that featured a trip to the French countryside, Petco Park box tickets, and horse racing packages. However, the live auction package that took the cake (no pun intended) featured a homemade cheesecake with a flavor of the winner’s choosing baked by Captain Nathan Rowley of the San Diego Sheriff’s department.
It was an incredible event in a room full of people from all walks of life with one common mission: creating a world where people affected by dementia have education, connection, and a quality of life that maintains their dignity and respect. And as Carlo Cecchetto, Alzheimer’s San Diego Board Chair reminded guests, we will continue “until the day we have a cure and organizations like Alzheimer’s San Diego are no longer needed.” Until then, the organization and its incredible volunteers, supporters, and staff will continue to advocate for the thousands of people with dementia in San Diego County.
If you would like to learn how to be part of our Visionary Circle, take a look at this page. Thank you again to everyone who came out to the 2025 Visionary Luncheon & Auction, and we encourage you to register for our other exciting events this year – Date with a Cure, Rides4ALZ, and Walk4ALZ.
RECOMMENDED – HOW TO: Register for Rides4ALZ
Posted on May 12, 2025 / By Heidi Emmenegger
Photos courtesy of Robin Harris Images
