Actors and Artists Unite to End Alzheimer's National Team Raises Over $150,000

And- they did it! The Actors and Artists Unite to end Alzheimer's National Team has raised over $150,000 for the Walk to end Alzheimer's since their first walk in 2011!

"It happened during the LA walk on November 8th, "shared Nancy Daly, the National Team Captain of AA Unite. " Two of my colleagues from the Actors' Equity National Council pledged their support and we hit that historic goal- we were walking in glory! As soon as I posted it on Facebook, Nick Wyman, the former President of Actors' Equity and Ken Howard, President of SAG-AFTRA and his lovely wife Linda cheered for us. "Bravo! Go Team! So proud of you!" It is pretty astounding- we build this team by word of mouth and on social media. "Hey, we have this team- come join us!" We have teams from South Dakota to New Orleans, from Rhode Island to Florida, from Boston to San Francisco- 35 this year! It is the greatest gift for me to see a new team join us in Vegas or to see a video from our first team in Ann Arbor- Ending Alzheimer's for Norma's Art- a group of wonderful ladies who walked to honor their grandmother, an artist. We have our team- Purple in Our Hearts- in Wilmington, DE who dress up in the most wonderful costumes and our dancers in Youngstown, Ohio from Ballet Western Reserve who dance down the course ever year. Our new goal is to have an AA Unite team walk in every state in this country by 2020- we're on it!

This wonderful achievement was shadowed two weeks later on November 22nd, as my beloved Aunt Jane, died from Alzheimer's. She is the 4th woman in my family to be felled by Alzheimer's. We speak a duo language in this work- one of despair and hope- of grief and resilience. I find myself echoing the calls of other causes- Not one more! I have come to believe that this rallying cry speaks to the courage and will of all of us- and for our team, we have lost too many dear ones. Our Promise Flower Ceremony purple flowers are too crowded with names of those we have lost, honor and remember. And now, I must add my Aunt Jane.

I have an even greater reason to work that much harder, to run even faster with this torch. I was too late in finding a cure for my own mom and aunt, but maybe I'll be on time for someone else's.

Our team motto is-"When actors and artists unite, the world can shift!" and it has! So- on behalf of our entire AA Unite National team- everyone- come join us. Come walk with us. We are a national team devoted to walking and working for a cure, a world without Alzheimer's and a future we can all remember. All are welcome! So, come join our team! Slainte!"

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