Memories matter
Comedy, cooking show to benefit Alzheimer’s Association
<p class="p1">Memories Matter, a Cajun comedy dinner show benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association, is set for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at Treasures of Marilyn’s, 3510 Fifth Ave. The event honors Victor Monsour Jr., a long-time local photographer who died last December after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
<p class="p3">Scott Landry, a local Cajun chef and comedian, will talk about his love of Cajun food while showing the audience how to cook crawfish étoufée. He said the show is similar to the one hosted by the late Louisiana chef Justin Wilson, who often combined humor and storytelling into his cooking shows.
<p class="p3">“We tell family-style jokes, where they could be true or not,” Landry said. “A 10-year-old kid and a 60-year-old could appreciate it.”
<p class="p3">Landry, who ran a local catering business, said he and Monsour were close friends, running track in high school and later helping each other with their respective businesses.
<p class="p3">“We both had the type of business where we worked on the weekends and had free time during the week,” he said. “We’d go duck hunting together.”
<p class="p3">Since leaving the catering industry, Landry said he has performed his show in 47 states and seven foreign countries. He, Monsour’s daughter, Megan Monsour Hartman, and Treasures all partnered to organize the fundraiser for the association.
<p class="p3">Landry, whose mother struggled with dementia, said he saw how Alzheimer’s impacted Monsour over time. But the disease’s impacts go beyond the person who struggles with it.
<p class="p3">“It affects just as much the people who are left behind,” Landry said. “That’s the sad part.”
<p class="p3">Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in Louisiana, according to the association. Currently 87,000 people in Louisiana aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s. The number of cases is expected to rise by more than 26 percent by 2025.
<p class="p3">Tickets are $30 each or $500 for a VIP table of eight. They can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com.
<p class="p4"><strong>Online:</strong> www.alz.org