Hundreds of customers and guests were on hand Saturday when Laura Gaddis, Executive Director and Founder of Guardian Angels Thrift, Inc., presented checks totaling $250,000 as donations for Alzheimer’s Research. That amount brought the total her business has raised to $1 million over a ten-year period.

The presentations took place outside the busy building that was formerly a supermarket store at 742 Main Street in Fuquay-Varina. The gala program celebrated the tenth anniversary of making donations for Alzheimer’s Research – a special event that started in a little 1,400 square-foot store in downtown Fuquay ten years ago. In September 1999 it expanded into the large 26,000 square foot former Harris Teeter operation where it continues to grow day-by-day offering low cost merchandise for buyers.

For Mrs. Gaddis, it’s a business she attributes to her mother, Lina Mae Edwards of Apex who died at the age of 76 in 1999 after slowly losing her memory to Alzheimer’s disease. It was while nearing the end of her mother’s life when Mrs. Gaddis awoke one morning envisioning a non-profit thrift store with the sales funding Alzheimer Research.

Festivities at Saturday’s meeting included events for the kids, band festival, coin toss game and hot dogs and fresh churned ice cream and cake.

The presentation highlighted the end of the special festival and was held outside under a series of tents. And it did rain!

Board members – Phil Fleming, Chris Hughes, Gayle Manley, and Rosalee Pfeiffer -- were introduced and a series of speakers, from Mayor John Byrne, to Executive Director Alice Watkins of the Eastern Chapter of the N.C. Alzheimer Association. Board member David Gaddis, the son of Mrs. Gaddis, made the introductions. On hand as well was her daughter, Shari Gaddis, operating manager and secretary at Guardian Angel.

Mrs. Gaddis presented the $250,000 in two checks – one for $50,000 to Dr. Daniel Kaufer, associate professor of Neurology and Medical Director at UNC Memory Disorders Clinic. The other check was for $200,000 and was presented to Dr. Donald Schmechel, professor at Duke University Medical Center, Medical Director at Falls Neurology and Memory Center, and staff neurologist at Caldwell Memorial Hospital.

In her remarks, Mrs. Gaddis explained the $250,000 is for the year. “This makes us realize our goal of our first $1 million dollars. Now we are working on our second million,” she said, then adding – “We couldn’t do without the help of our volunteers who couldn’t be better!”