On June 20, people across the world will participate in an activity of their choice for The Longest Day. The Longest Day is held on the day with the most light — the summer solstice — to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s disease. People can support the event “virtually” through various activities: biking, hiking, knitting, and more. I’m joining participants around the world to raise critical awareness and funds to advance Alzheimer’s Association care, support and research programs.
This will be my fifth year participating in The Longest Day. I advocate and play tennis in memory of my mother, Joan, who suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s for many years, and passed away at age 79. She was my rock, my best friend, and to see her slowly being robbed of the person she was broke my heart piece by piece, and she is the reason why I am so passionate about this cause.
In recent years Congress has made funding Alzheimer’s research a priority and it must continue. It is my hope that our local and state officials will continue to support an increase in Alzheimer’s research funding at the National Institutes of Health.
To learn more about The Longest Day, visit alz.org/thelongestday.
