If you’re wondering what Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie did on Summer Solstice, he played golf. But, it wasn’t just any round of golf. It was a round to honor his father, Tim.
T.J. played as part of “The Longest Day,” which is the Alzheimer’s Association’s fundraiser that encourages people to “Do something you love — or honor a caregiver, someone living with Alzheimer’s, or someone you’ve lost by selecting his or her favorite hobby” on June 21, the longest day of the year.
Ever since Tim was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012, T.J. has been an advocate for his dad and for others affected by the disease.
According to his fundraising page, Oshie surpassed his goal of raising $21,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association. He initially set a goal of $10,000, but that mark with hit within 24 hours, so he raised the bar.
“We live in the moment and use opportunities like The Longest Day to work toward a cure,” he told For The Win. “We’re hopeful for a world without it and believe it’s important to raise awareness about it to achieve that.”
.@Capitals fans, RT 2 cheer on @TJOshie77 tomorrow as he honors his dad & all touched by Alzheimer’s. https://t.co/GccUV4s913 #TheLongestDay pic.twitter.com/r4UjY6ORZH
— Alzheimer’s AssocNCA (@AANCAC) June 20, 2017
And the Capitals are fully supportive of T.J. and Tim, too. Each year, they have a “Dad’s trip,” in which players’ fathers travel with the team for an away game, so they can watch their sons play.
Knowing Tim would need additional assistance on the road in January, the team also paid for T.J.’s father-in-law to come so he could help Tim as needed while T.J. was busy with work.
Here’s to more professional athletes raising money and awareness for Alzheimer’s and dementia.