Sep 2, 2015 3 min read

CANONSBURG – If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to be an artist the caliber of Vincent van Gogh, here’s your chance.

Washington Community Arts and Cultural Center is hosting a BYOB Paint and Sip to help raise money for the Washington County Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19 at Wash Arts, 70 South St., Washington. “Artists” can choose to either paint van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or design a silk scarf. Cost is $50 per painter, with $40 of each ticket benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Walkers who attend the Paint and Sip also can designate the money be used to supplement their team total, which, ultimately, will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Nothing is more devastating to seniors than this desease,” Bracken Burns said during the team kickoff event at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe.

Bracken is serving as co-chairman of the walk, along with Leslie Grenfell, executive director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, and Mary Lynn Spilak, director of Aging Services of Washington County.

And for Burns, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is personal. His mother, Jane, had Alzheimer’s. She died in 1994 at age 78.

“Over five million people are affected by Alzheimer’s,” Bracken said. “This is an ugly event. This is not acceptable.”

The Paint and Sip also will feature an hors d’oeuvres table, plus an auction containing a variety of themed baskets, such as wine, lottery tickets, art supplies and brain games. In addition, instructor Linda VanNewKirk will sketch an outline on the canvas to help avoid frustration among the artists.

This year, the Washington County Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held Sept. 26, with registration beginning at 9 a.m., at Consol Energy Park in North Franklin Township.

The walk has continued to grow through the years, and Burns remains passionate about it.

“It’s about our loved ones,” Burns said. “Part of going out to walk is therapeutic. This is a healing experience. Walking in a circle seems like a waste of time, but it’s not.

“As much fun as walking around in a circle with friends and honoring loved ones is, at the end of the day, it’s about raising money. It sounds mercenary, but it feels good to feel good.”

The guest list for the Paint and Sip at Wash Arts is limited to 75 people, and reservations are required by Sept. 11 by contacting Peggy Mancina at 724-222-1475 or washartsinfo@gmail.com. For more information about the walk, contact Allison Kaharick, constituents events manager at the Alzheimer’s Association, at 412-261-5040 or akaharick@alz.org.