NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. There are signs all around the community now, showing a support for those living with a form of dementia.
A place to stay cool, grab a bite, grab a drink, and just connect with friends; that's what Frank Miller had in mind when he opened Sonny's Patio Pub in Germantown.
"We came up with Sonny's to be a place that's bright and colorful," Frank said.
Beyond the warm yellows and oranges around the restaurant, lately, Frank's added a new color to Sonny's. The purple Alzheimer's Association pinwheel flowers outside Sonny's are in honor of someone.
"My mom's name was Harriet Miller," Frank said. "She always put herself last, made sure we had what we needed. She did that up until the very last few years of her life when dementia and Alzheimer's started taking over. I think my lack of understanding that her signs were becoming worse and worse was she just tried to block it cause the family came first. She was very selfless. A very selfless woman."
Harriet died late last year.
The purple outside is for Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness month. Frank's work doesn't stop here. Frank's restaurants are among about ten businesses in the area raising money for the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's. It's called Paint the Town Purple.
"This drink is called Flower Power," Frank said about a new drink to the menu. "It's a purple gin drink."
The drink's at Frank's restaurants; Sonny's Patio Pub, Cerveza Jack's downtown, and Coal Town Public House in Franklin. A dollar for each drink goes to the Walk to End Alzheimer's.
As part of Paint the Town Purple, purple lights were on around the city. They lit up the Adventure Science Center, Bicentennial Park, and the Capitol.
"I think it's great," Frank said. "It is not a small issue. There's plenty of people who are dealing with this. As I've gone through my own journey of dealing with my mom, my mom's sickness and eventual passing, anything to raise awareness, I'm 100% behind."
If you'd like to take part in any Paint the Town Purple events, this is the list of remaining events from the Alzheimer's Association.
Now until June 30: Sonny's Patio Pub, Cerveza Jack and Coal Town Public House will each be promoting a purple drink and donating $1 from each drink sold to the walk.
Each restaurant will also be sporting some purple decorations.
- Sonny's Patio Pub: 1322 6th Ave N, Nashville
- Cerveza Jack's 135 2nd Ave N, Nashville
- Coal Town Pizza: 187 Front St #103, Franklin
Now until June 8: Bicentennial Park will light the towers near the Amphitheater in purple for the week. The park is located at 653 Harrison St, Nashville
Now until June 8: Salvo's Pizza, Hermitage will be decked out in purple. During the week, they will be putting stickers on their pizza boxes with the registration QR code. On Friday, June 7, they will also be donating a percentage of sales to the Walk. Salvo's is located at: 3966 Dodson Chapel Road, Hermitage
Now until June 9: The Cupola at the state capitol will be lit in purple. The Capitol address is 600 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Nashville
June 6: Ice Cream Social at Jeni's in Mc Ewen Northside from 3:00-6:00. Jeni's will give back 25% of all purchases during that time period. An information table will be set up outside in the common area in front of Jeni's. The address is 4021 Aspen Grove Drive, Franklin.
June 8: The Tennessee Tempos are doing a give back night at their game against the Chattanooga United. 100% of ticket sales from this game and tickets are only $10. There will also be an information table set up to provide more information about local walks. The game will take place at Richard Siegel Stadium at 7p. The stadium is located at 515 Cherry Lane, Murfreesboro, Tickets can be purchased online.
June 13: Walk Kick off/Paint the Town Purple Celebration at Kenect from 5:30-7:30. There will be food, drinks, a Jack Daniels tasting and live music. The event will be using a resident lounge on the 7th floor and also have access to their amenity deck. Kenect is located at 800 19th Ave S. Parking is available in their ramp and will be validated.
June 27: Ice Cream Social at Jeni's in The Factory from 3:00-6:00. Jeni's will give back 25% of all purchases during that time period. There will be an information table set up near the Jeni's Scoop Shop. The address is 230 Franklin Rd Suite 11-L, Franklin.
July 1: Chipotle on West End Avenue will be doing a give back night where 25% of event sales will be donated back to the walk. The time frame for this is 5p-9p. You can order online using the code 6ALQ9XD. Chipotle West End is located at 2825 West End Ave.
