Brewing Lasting Memories: coffee company donates to Alzheimer’s research

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - For Charles Sikes, this is much more than just a cup of coffee.

“You know it’s something that everyone enjoys. Every morning she’d start he day with a cup of black coffee, so, just a way to remember her.”

With each sip, a memory.

“My mother was, she was kind of like the glue for my whole family.”

But five years ago, Charles and his family got news that would bring their world to a stop.

“My mother, in 2018, she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.”

And as they would quickly find out, the fight to beat it would not be easy.

“There really is not a treatment available. There were some medications that we tried but they just weren’t effective in helping her.”

The disease would slowly rob them of their mother and her of her memories.

“It just felt like there were a lot of goodbyes. Every time we saw her, we were kind of saying goodbye to her again.”

As Charles and his family mourned the loss of their mother, he turned his attention towards finding a way to stop this from happening to anyone else.

“I could have made a one-time donation which would’ve been great, which I did, but this is a way I continue to give going forward.”

What Charles did was start a business, Lasting Memories Coffee Company.

“I thought it was something that had a broad interest.”

Inspired by his mom’s love of coffee, and helping to fight the disease that took her from them, donating 10 percent of all sales back to Alzheimer’s research.

“My hope is that other families that have family members with Alzheimer’s would have some resource, some sort of treatment. I thought supporting groups like the Alzheimer’s Association, that are doing research on Alzheimer’s, would ultimately find some sort of medication that would help them find a cure later.”

Although it won’t bring his mom back, in a way it keeps her alive - each cup full of a little caffeine, a lot of hope and the belief that one day we’ll all have lasting memories.

“I think she would be proud. I think she’d be proud to know that I’m supporting Alzheimer’s research and trying to make a difference.”

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