Jackson Free Press

For the next year, Keith Plunkett will spend his weekends in a boat. On Saturday, Plunkett launches "Lucy's Revenge," a yearlong project that will send him paddling more than 600 miles on Mississippi's rivers.

The project's goal is twofold: Plunkett wants to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and the state's resources for patients and caregivers, and he wants to showcase some of Mississippi's lesser-known waterways.

The journey is a tribute to Plunkett's grandmother, Evelyn Kirk Plunkett--whom he called "Lucy"--and the family members who cared for her. Lucy Plunkett died in 1993, but she began showing signs of Alzheimer's disease as early as 1977.

"That's what's so bad about this disease," Keith Plunkett says. "It takes little pieces from somebody in such a slow way that you almost don't notice it until it's forced on you. ... To watch that happen over time, to someone who was as integral to my life as she was--it was tough."

Plunkett organized his route around the five regional areas of the Mississippi Alzheimer's Association, which is a partner in the project. Plunkett is raising donations for the Association for each mile he paddles. In conjunction with his weekend kayak trips, Plunkett will also collect stories of Alzheimer's patients and caregivers along the way, which he hopes to publicize on the project's website.

Kayaking is a new hobby for Plunkett. He and his wife, Sharon, picked up the pastime during a Labor Day weekend trip to Maine last year.

"We both loved it so much," Plunkett says. "We got back and within a month we had two boats."

Plunkett, 39, has spent most of his life in Yazoo County. He grew up outside Bentonia and now lives in Flora. He and Sharon have two sons, Isaac and Ricky. Plunkett attended Holmes County Junior College and Gulf Coast Community College but entered the workforce early to support his young family while Sharon finished law school. Plunkett now handles constituent services for Congressman Gregg Harper, specializing in health services.

"Lucy's Revenge" kicks off at 7:30 a.m., July 10, at Mile Marker 1 on the Old Fort Bayou in Ocean Springs, adjacent to the Gulf Hills Hotel and Conference Center, 13701 Paso Road. For more information or to donate, contact Keith Plunkett at [e-mail missing], or visit lucysrevenge.com.[/o]