Our Story

Co-founders Sheryl and Eric Kolb started Songs & Smiles to help other families navigate the challenges of the Alzheimer’s journey. They know firsthand how tough it is to care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or any other type of dementia.

Sheryl lost her grandmother, Olive, to the disease in 2006. Then Sheryl’s mom, Trish, was diagnosed with memory loss in 2008 at the age of 68. Lessons learned while caring for Trish live at the heart of Songs & Smiles.

It all started as a birthday party.

Sheryl enjoys planning events for family and friends, and her mom loved to celebrate. When Sheryl would ask her mom who she should invite, Trish always wanted to “invite everyone.” For her, “family” meant more than just relatives. Family extended to include neighbors, co-workers, friends, and friends of friends.

Sheryl had originally dreamed of a big party for her mom’s 80th birthday, but due to Trish’s memory loss, Sheryl decided not to wait two more years. Instead, she decided to celebrate her mom’s 78th birthday in a big way!

Focusing on some of her mom’s favorite memories, Sheryl planned a weekend filled with fun activities, including a trip to the ballpark to see Trish’s beloved Texas Rangers play baseball. She also asked some of Trish’s grandchildren to “get the band back together” to play for grandma and the rest of the family.

Well, the Meyerband (Trish’s grandchildren John, David, Mary, and Jimmy) did agree to playing for the family, but they ended up playing for a much larger group of people, because Sheryl and Eric decided to turn the Sunday afternoon festivities into a family-friendly music and comedy fundraising event, which they called Songs & Smiles.

Many people joined them for an afternoon of fun entertainment on Sunday, July 30, 2017. Many others sent best wishes and donations, and the couple raised more than $20,000 in support of the Alzheimer’s Association through that single event.

Celebration of Life

Given the success of that first event, Sheryl and Eric realized that the idea of bringing joy into the challenging journey of Alzheimer’s resonated with people. Many people asked them about the future of Songs & Smiles.

Well, the next two years were tough for them as they had to focus more of their time and energy on caring for Sheryl’s mom. Trish faced Alzheimer’s with courage, and she held on to her positive spirit to the end. In August of 2019, Trish’s family gathered for a quieter, but joy-filled celebration of her 80th birthday. Less than a month later, Trish passed away suddenly, and the family gathered once more — this time for a special Celebration of Life service held at the memory care facility where Trish had spent her final years.

Honoring Trish and Olive, Sheryl and Eric decided to expand Songs & Smiles into a nonprofit organization with the mission of keeping families connected during the Alzheimer’s journey. And, as Trish taugh them, they decided to “invite everyone.”

The First Songs & Smiles Event in 2017 on Vimeo.