Tag Archives: alzheimer’s association

June 21, 2013 · 10:12 am

Walking for Dad on The Longest Day

This year I actually have the opportunity to participate in the Alzheimer’s Association campaign, The Longest Day. Since this is the day it stays light the longest, today is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on Alzheimer’s awareness from dawn to dusk. Last year I was at work so I couldn’t fully participate, but I had no excuses this year!

Walking the Beltline in Atlanta for Dad on The Longest Day 2013.

Walking the Beltline in Atlanta for Dad on The Longest Day 2013.


People do all sorts of things to honor their loved ones for The Longest Day campaign. People hike, run, swim, ride a bike, just anything to get out there and spread awareness. I chose to walk because Dad loved to take long walks and I do too! I decided to walk the Beltline, which is an exciting project here in Atlanta that is repurposing the long abandoned railroad tracks that still exist around the city and converting them into a walk/run/cycling trail that links up many intown neighborhoods. I was skeptical about the project at first I have to admit, but now that I have experienced one of the first phases of the project, I feel like it’s coming along nicely.

Piper the Beltline Kitty came out to greet me on my walk for Dad!

Piper the Beltline Kitty came out to greet me on my walk for Dad!

Today I walked the Eastside Trail from Piedmont Park in Midtown to Inman Park. Driving that route is almost a five mile trek. But thanks to the Beltline, you can walk there in half that distance. I made it to my destination in about an hour and am writing up this blog post at a neighborhood coffee shop. I’m going to keep spreading Alzheimer’s awareness throughout the day by staying active on social media and doing more walking!

I would love to hear how others are honoring their loved ones and spreading Alzheimer’s Awareness on The Longest Day. To follow the action on Twitter, use the hashtag #thelongestday.

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January 11, 2013 · 6:50 pm

25 years of Alzheimer’s advocacy in America

The Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum will host its 25th national conference this year in Washington, D.C. from April 22-24. Check out this timeline of Alzheimer’s advocacy over the last quarter of a century. So many people have come together and broadened awareness of this terrible disease over the last 25 years. Certainly I know most advocates would hope we would be further along with treatment options or even, daresay, a cure, but awareness has grown greatly. Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s cases have grown in numbers, the U.S. and the world have had to take notice and take action.

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I hope to get to attend this year. For those on a budget, registration fees are being waived in honor of the 25th anniversary. You can find out more about the event and the agenda details on the registration page.

Sometimes, caregivers and family members can feel so alone, so isolated in their family’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Meeting others who share similar experiences can be a moving, yet rewarding experience.

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April 23, 2012 · 12:16 pm

The personal side of the Alzheimer’s awareness movement

The Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum is taking place this week in Washington, D.C. For those attending and promoting Alzheimer’s awareness, a big thank you. Alzheimer’s is quickly becoming a national health crisis, and we must come together as a nation to address it.

For most of us, the battle against Alzheimer’s is very personal. For me, it’s the reason why I started The Memories Project. My dad was not a celebrity or a hometown hero. He was just an average guy.

But he was my father, and he did not deserve to suffer from Alzheimer’s. No one deserves to suffer from this terrible disease.

I can’t be in the nation’s capital to be a part of the forum, but if I had the opportunity to share a personal memory of how our family was touched by Alzheimer’s, I would share this snapshot in time, my last visit home when my father still lived there:

My dad was restless and paced the living room, while trying to get the zipper on his jacket to work. Suddenly, he turned around and looked straight at my mom, who was sitting on the couch next to me. He asked with a tone of distress, “Where’s Jane?”

My mom is Jane. My parents were married for 40 years.

My mom’s face crumpled internally, the words striking her skin as painfully as physical blows. She answered in an even tone, “I’m right here.”

There were many other painful memories that Alzheimer’s created for our family, but this one stands out starkly in my mind and makes my heart hurt. It was difficult to know who to have more sympathy for, my dad suffering from advanced memory loss or my mom forced to deal with the fact that her partner of 40 years could no longer remember who she was.

This is why I am an advocate for Alzheimer’s Awareness.

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