For the Reporter

A group of Auburnites are gathering to support one of the community’s longtime families, the Montgomery’s, and their fight against Alzheimer’s.

A spaghetti feed fundraiser and silent auction for the family is 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at The Spunky Monkey, 124 Second St. SE Auburn. All proceeds will support Kari Montgomery, who along with her mother, Shirley, are both battling the disease.

The public is welcome.

Kari has been traveling since late last summer to St Louis to participate in a clinical trial medication for Alzheimer’s. Her friends have started a GoFundMe page to help offset travel costs.

Many Auburn businesses have donated to the silent auction. Former world champion Greg “Mutt” Haugen will make a special appearance to sign autographs and donate to the cause.

Kari’s participation has been greatly appreciated by researchers, the family said. The advancement of Alzheimer’s treatment and hoping for a cure is being accelerated by the ability to scan and verify the patient’s disease. In previous drug and treatment trials, it was not definitive that the person actually had Alzheimer’s dementia disease. The disease can now be physically confirmed with a MRI & PET Scan, which is advancing research faster by trials on diagnosed patients.