The Longest Day Highlights Global Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

BUFFALO, NY (June 13, 2014) - On June 21, 2014, people across the globe, including several teams across Western New York, will participate in The Longest Day® to honor the strength, passion and endurance of those facing Alzheimer's with a day of activity.

The Longest Day is a sunrise-to-sunset team event to raise funds to fuel the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association®. Across the eight counties covered by the Association’s WNY Chapter, several teams will complete approximately 16 hours of activity ranging from cooking and knitting to playing cards and go-kart racing, to honor those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Participants in The Longest Day are joining a global conversation about Alzheimer's disease, the brain and other dementias as part of the inaugural Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month in June.

These are a few of the local teams organizing activities (and accepting donations), which are open to the public:

·       Pole Position Raceway –  inside the Walden Galleria

·       The Unusual Suspects –  Johnson family at 49 Hamilton Drive in Amherst organizing a day-long music fest and chicken barbeque in the street

·       Gray Matters! –  team will be knitting and crocheting at Dancing Goat Yarn Shop at 11 W. Buffalo Street in Warsaw

“This new event is raising awareness about this terrible disease and the strength and endurance it takes to walk a mile in the shoes of all those impacted,” said WNY Chapter Development Director Lynn Westcott. “These are wonderfully compassionate and dedicated people doing what they can to raise money so we can fund research and continue to care for and support all those impacted by Alzheimer’s.”

Alzheimer's is the nation’s sixth leading cause of death. More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, including approximately 55,000 across WNY, and the national prevalence is estimated to grow to as many as 16 million by year 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association® 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures report.

To learn more about The Longest Day, visit alz.org/thelongestday or call 1.800.272.3900.

Alzheimer’s Disease Quick Facts:

Every 67 seconds, an American develops Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in this country. More than 5 million Americans, including close to 55,000 across Western New York, are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. To learn more, including the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/WNY or call 1.800.272.3900.