Baltimore's Child Baltimore's Child
Many kids love Easter egg hunts. But for 6-year-old Bradley Snyder, this year’s egg hunts also have a special purpose. Bradley was inspired to create an “Egg My Yard” for Alzheimer’s campaign to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Bradley sees me creating events and working to fight Alzheimer’s all the time,” explains his mother, Melissa Snyder, who serves as a senior manager for the Maryland Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “He always says he wants to help, so we came up with this idea.”
Friends and family can pay Bradley $25 to hide 20 prefilled eggs in their yards. So far, Bradley has been hired to egg 16 yards, which means he’s filled at least 320 eggs with candy, stickers and prizes.
“Sometimes we filled a few eggs before school or after his baby brother went to bed,” explains Melissa. “Whenever we could fit it in, we were stuffing eggs.”
To date, Bradley’s fundraiser has raised $1,255 to support the Alzheimer’s Association. This accomplishment is great news for the Snyder family, who has been personally affected by Alzheimer’s, a brain disorder that slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of death and affects more than 6 million Americans each year.
“My grandmother and grandfather both had Alzheimer’s. Bradley was about 4 years old when my grandfather passed, but they shared a special bond. They could interact with each other and sit on the floor and play Legos. Bradley never knew any different, so it was kind of normal for him. He knew that Poppop liked to play with him. I feel lucky that he had the opportunity to have the relationship with him,” recalls Melissa.
Melissa is also pleased to observe the life lessons Bradley has gained through this experience.
“I want him to understand that there are things that you do for the sake of others and for the good of humanity, and that it feels good to give,” she says.
Bradley agrees and has enjoyed the times he’s able to watch the egg hunts. “I feel really great when I get to see kids get the eggs I hid. It’s really fun,” he says.
But ultimately, Bradley says he has one mission for his “Egg My Yard” campaign: “I want to make Alzheimer’s go away.”
Learn more about the work of the Alzheimer’s Association and the organization’s upcoming Longest Day fundraising campaign.
