Be Brave and #ENDALZ

22 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn Central Ohio, Fundraising, Mom, Products

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alzheimers, alzheimers awareness, bravelets, dementia, Walk to End Alzheimer's

Help us #ENDALZ!

Support Marilyn’s Mighty Memory Makers in the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. For each bracelet purchased, $10 goes directly to the Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association!

Click HERE to purchase a Bravelet!

Nine Months Later: We Walk to #ENDALZ

15 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn Central Ohio, Inspiration, Life After Caregiving, Mom, Ruminations, Walk to End ALZ

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Today marks nine months since Mom left this earth… The stack of cards and notes received upon her passing still sits in the same place it was in December. I keep thinking I’ll sit and read all of them one evening, but the time just hasn’t felt right.

Milestones

We’ve started to think and talk about what we’ll do to mark her birthday next month and then how we’ll spend December 15th. They should be days filled with love and laughter; that’s what Mom would have wanted after all…

I miss her so, so much… Fall was always her favorite time of year, and when we went to pick apples last weekend, I couldn’t help but remember the many times we’d visited that same orchard together over the years. Joyful memories to be sure. 4M team.2013.c

Walking to #ENDALZ

Yesterday was our local Walk to End Alzheimer’s and what an event it was. A perfect crisp, cool autumn morning welcomed us to Huntington Park; the sun shone brightly as our ALZ angels smiled down on our new venue. The Central Ohio event has grown by leaps and bounds since 2009 when Marilyn’s Mighty Memory Makers were born. In five years, our little team has raised over $13,390 for Alzheimer’s research and programs, but there is much work yet to be done!

Here are a few photos from our special day in Columbus, Ohio…

Arriving at the ballpark, bright and early… a beautiful day.

Opening ceremonies…

Jennifer Sega, the most AWESOME event organizer in the world! With hubby Bob, team photographer extraordinaire.

Look at that glorious blue sky…

Honor, remember, care, fight, – and love.

The event brought out men, women, children…. and birds…. of all ages!

Entering the field, nearing the finish.

And we’ll keep doing it until there’s no more need.

Walking to #ENDALZ

17 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by Ann Napoletan in 4M, Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn Central Ohio, Events, Facts & Figures, Mom, Walk to End ALZ

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Walk to End Alzheimer's

Well, it’s that time of year again. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s has moved from June to September, and apparently that has thrown me off! I’m just now – with the Walk less than a month away – starting my fundraising in earnest, so I have a lot of catching up to do.

4M Strikes Again!

This year’s event will take place on September 14, one day shy of 9 months since my beautiful mother was set free of this horrible disease. Last year, we raised $2,670, and I would love nothing more than to honor her memory by beating that – even if by just one dollar! If you can help, please visit Marilyn’s Mighty Memory Makers on the web to donate.

This is a disease that can strike any family – it doesn’t discriminate, and almost all of us have been or know someone who has been personally touched by its wrath.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Consider this …. By 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million—a 40 percent increase from the 5 million age 65 and older currently affected. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from 5 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease.

Based on those numbers, there’s no question that time is of the essence. Researchers are making advances every single day, but funding is just not there yet. In 2011, the NIH spent $3 billion on research into AIDS, $4.3 billion on heart disease, and $5.8 billion for cancer… Compare those figures to what is being spent annually on ALZ research… less than $500 million.

Mortality Rates are Rising

rib-purple_endalz_sm

Yet ALZ is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America without a way to prevent it, cure it or even slow its progression. Deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010, while deaths from other major diseases, including the number one cause of death (heart disease), decreased.

If you would like to help, please visit Marilyn’s Mighty Memory Makers on the web. It only take a few clicks to make a contribution, and every little bit helps.

Thank you!!!