Malia Bolt, owner of Purple House Gallery in Gainesville, won the Larson Juhl Design Star competition in 2017. As part of her winnings, a portion of the profits from the first year of sales was donated to a charity of her choice. Malia chose the Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) Foundation as her beneficiary and designated the gift to be used by Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) for their Dementia Support Group.
“I was honored to win the design competition and to be able to donate a portion of the proceeds to a worthy cause,” said Malia. “I knew I wanted to donate to the NGHS Foundation in support of dementia care because my father has dementia. I’m so glad the money will go to supporting caregivers participating in the support group – which helps many families going through hardships similar to mine.”
NGPG’s Dementia Support Group was created to meet a need identified by staff members for a support group for family members, friends and caregivers of those living with dementia. The group meets monthly and provides a space for education, support and fellowship.
“This donation will allow us to provide resources like books, modules and other educational materials for members of our group,” said Laura Banner, a certified family nurse practitioner for NGPG Neurology. “Not only does this donation allow us to provide these resources to caregivers, it also lets them know that they are not alone. This gracious donation was provided by someone who cares about them and recognizes the difficult road that they navigate on a daily basis.”