As many of you may know, the Alzheimer Association is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I know too many people that have had such a horrible disease. It truly steals who you are right out from underneath you. My mom figures that her dad (my grandfather) had it. I have several great aunt and uncles that have had it also. More recently, Bill's grandmother had it. Bill and I have been together 12 years, and I never got to know her before she got Alzheimer's. She passed away about a year or so ago, but I missed out on meeting one remarkable lady. She was blind; yet, she didn't let it stop her. She had 5 children and she ran the Chicago division of the Guild For The Blind. She wrote many books too. I also have an uncle now that they aren't sure if it's Alzheimer's or dementia that he has. His kids (my cousins) had to put him in a nursing home since he can no longer stay by himself. As you can see, this is a disease that certainly has hit close to home here.

Again, this year, the Alzheimer's Association will be having their Memory Walk. This is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. They are putting the call out for people to walk and be team captains this year. The Alzheimer's Memory Walk should be taking place in the fall somewhere close to you (they have walks scheduled all over the nation — 600 communities total). The walk is about 2-3 miles.

Please consider being a captain or a walker for such a great cause. If you are unable to do that, please consider donating to a walker who is walking for such a great cause!