PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — This Wednesday will be the longest day of the year. The sun will shine for more than 15 hours and people from all over the world will shine their light to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s Disease.

One of those people is Mike Parrish. He will be spending the entire day in the ocean on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.

He’s doing it in honor of his mother. “My mother is a A type personality, always the head of the household, she was the boss at her work – yeah, strong woman,” Parrish said.

Six years ago, Charlotte Parrish started showing signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. “Mostly it was mood at first and I think it was because she was losing control that she was getting angry,” Parrish explained.

He is a lot like his mom. “Not being in control has been hard and not being able to do anything.”

That’s why he will be in the ocean near the Nags Head Fishing Pier for 16 hours on June 21.
He will body boarding, handplaning, swimming and some relaxing from 5:15 a.m. until 9:15 p.m.

“It’s something I can do. I know when I can get in the water, how long I’ll be in the water, and I can be in control of it,” he told WAVY.

A business donated a long sleeved rash guard, so Mike is not concerned about his skin or even what’s in the ocean. “I’m not worried about sharks, I’m only worried about getting dehydrated,” he laughed.

Two of his buddies will swim out water and snacks. “Shout out to Brian and Tim! Thanks Brian and Tim!”

His goal of $4,000 is just a drop in the bucket, Mike said, but every donation to the Alzheimer’s Association brings hope toward finding a cure, to help families like his trying to keep their heads above water, as they ride out the unpredictable disease.

** Mike Parrish surpassed his goal Monday afternoon and hopes to raise as much money as he can for the cause. To make a donation click here.