Washington, D.C. – The Alzheimer's Association announced the launch of the Advocates for Alzheimer's Disease essay contest, funded by the Remember the Future Fund. This contest encourages young adults (ages 18 to 25) who have been touched by Alzheimer’s or are concerned about public policy issues affecting the disease to become more engaged in advocacy, and to show policymakers that Alzheimer’s is a multigenerational issue.

The submitted essays should highlight how young Alzheimer advocates can make a difference and actions young adults could take to encourage their peers to become Alzheimer advocates.

“Not only is Alzheimer’s devastating for those affected and their families, but it also threatens to overwhelm the U.S. economy and bankrupt the healthcare system,” said Steve McConnell, Alzheimer's Association vice president of advocacy and public policy. “This essay contest allows a typically unrepresented voice to share their experience with the disease and their vision of advocacy in years to come. This generation of advocates represents the future of this disease and as such we want to encourage them to proactively affect policy so their children can live in a world without Alzheimer’s.”

All entries should be:

• 500 words or less.
  
  
• Submitted by Dec. 31, 2006.
  
  
• Submitted online at http://www.alz.kintera.org/essay, which also includes contest rules and eligibility guidelines.

Contest entries will be judged by a panel of Alzheimer's Association national board members, who will select a first- and second-place winner and 10 honorable-mention designees.

Competition awards include:

• One first-place winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, a complimentary registration and reimbursement of up to $1,500 for travel and related expenses to attend the Alzheimer's Association Public Policy Forum, March 18-20, 2007, in Washington D.C.
  
  
• One second-place winner will receive a $500 cash prize and a complimentary registration to attend the Public Policy Forum.
  
  
• Ten finalists will receive an honorable-mention certificate of acknowledgement.

Both the first- and second-place winners will participate in Capitol Hill visits during the Public Policy Forum and will be expected to make follow-up visits to their senators and representatives following the Forum.

For more information, contact Alexea Davis via e-mail or at 312.335.5783.

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association, the world leader in Alzheimer research and support, is the first and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s. For more than 25 years, the donor-supported, not-for-profit Alzheimer’s Association has provided reliable information and care consultation; created supportive services for families; increased funding for dementia research; and influenced public policy changes.

About the Remember the Future Fund
In 2005 Alzheimer's Association board member Joanne Vidinsky established the Remember the Future Fund. Remember the Future is dedicated to the children and grandchildren of those touched by Alzheimer’s, with the hope that through the achievement of the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission they will not know the ravages of the disease. Donations contributed to the Remember the Future Fund support the Association’s public policy activities focused on advocacy with the U.S. Congress to increase federal funding for Alzheimer research towards the goal of $1 billion annually.