The summer solstice — the single day of the year with the greatest amount of daylight — fell on Wednesday. However, to raise money for the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, a South Burlington senior living and memory care community marked the occasion on Friday instead.

New York City native Arthur Kunin is the lone First Gentleman that the Green Mountain State has ever had. He was married to Madeleine Kunin for more than 35 years, including all three terms that she served as governor of Vermont from 1985 to 1991.

“It is unbelievably tragic for the families that have a member developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Arthur Kunin said. “And, I might say, it’s also very tragic for the physician who sees how important these people were and aren’t anymore.”

He now lives at the Residences at Quarry Hill, and he’s a physician himself. Kunin is a retired former professor at what is now the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont after having attended medical school there.

Ned MacCarty also studied medicine at UVM. His wife passed away last year after Quarry Hill’s Reflections Memory Care program cared for her.

“I’ve been a resident for about three and a half years,” MacCarty said. “Very, very happy with their care for my wife. Fortunately, I haven’t required their care — but I may yet, and they do a wonderful job.”

MacCarty was one of many people who contributed to a fundraiser at Quarry Hill for the Alzheimer’s Association. Anyone making a $15 donation would purchase a pizza, two side salads, peach cobbler and freshly squeezed lemonade. It was part of a national initiative every June called Longest Day for Alzheimer’s.

“Our chef, Brian, and his team made all of this,” Quarry Hill memory care director Tanya Seeley said. “For us — since I’m the memory care director — and those who suffer with dementia as well, it’s the longest day that they have to go through this disease process.”

Quarry Hill held this same fundraiser each year of the pandemic, raising approximately $1,000 each time. Seeley expected it would also raise about the same amount of money this year.