by guest contributor Jeannette O’Connor-UsA2
Photo credit: Daniel McGarrity
Close to 500 guests gathered for a moving and inspirational night supporting UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. Held in the Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the 4th annual Out of the Shadows Dinner featured celebrities, Congressional leaders, members of the Administration, well-known Washington philanthropists, corporate sponsors, individual supporters, researchers, and other leaders in the fight to stop Alzheimer’s. This year’s event raised more than $1 million.
The dinner, hosted by WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, was part of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s 2017 National Alzheimer’s Summit, and was renamed the Trish Vradenburg Out of the Shadows Dinner in memory of Trish Vradenburg, the powerful co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, who changed the course of the fight against Alzheimer’s through her relentless advocacy and humor. Before becoming involved in the Alzheimer’s fight, Trish was a sitcom writer for hit shows such as Kate & Allie, Family Ties and Designing Women. She and her husband George Vradenburg, former General Counsel for AOL, CBS and Fox, founded UsAgainstAlzheimer’s after losing Trish’s mom, Bea Lerner, to the disease.
Senator Roy Blunt
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s honored Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) by presenting them with the Congressional Champions Award and highlighting their work in Congress to support patients and caregivers both in their home states and nationally. Both Senators emphasized their commitment to bipartisan work of keeping Alzheimer’s a priority in Congress.
The dinner showcased the unique perspectives of women who represent the majority of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. Jill Lesser, President of WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, shared with guests the great work being done to support women as patients and caregivers and announced the formation of the Women’s Leadership Council which includes women leaders who are dedicated to helping advance a cure for Alzheimer’s.
Sally Quinn
The evening included a conversation with several well-known women whose lives have been forever altered by Alzheimer’s including Sally Quinn, author and Washington Post columnist, whose husband Ben Bradlee had dementia. Sally recently wrote a book called Finding Magic: A Spiritual Journey. “I was so happy to moderate the panel for the Us Against Alzheimer’s gala dinner with Laura Miller Rogen, Kim Campbell, Dr. Sperling, Dr. Byrd and Phyllis Ferrell. Nothing is more important or urgent now than finding a cure for this horrible disease which has touched so many of our lives and causes so much grief and pain,” said Quinn.
Sally Quinn, Kim Campbell and Lauren Miller Rogen
Kim Campbell, wife of the late country music legend Glen Campbell, also participated in the conversation and shared stories of her journey as a caregiver to Glen who passed away in August from the disease. Kim started the website careliving.org in support of fellow caregivers. Lauren Miller Rogen talked about her mother, whose early onset Alzheimer’s was the inspiration for her and her husband, actor Seth Rogen, to start Hilarity For Charity. Other panelists included Dr. Reisa Sperling of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Goldie Byrd from North Carolina A&T University, and Phyllis Ferrell, a Vice President at Eli Lilly & Co. Each contributed to the conversation and shared their personal journey with this disease as well as their commitment to helping to find a cure. Finally, George Vradenburg presented IBM Watson Health with the Corporate Champion Award. Lori Steele, Global Managing Director, IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences, accepted the award.
Daisy Duarte, a tireless national advocate, member of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s network, and caregiver to her mother who is living with the disease received the 2017 Bea Lerner Valor Award. Daisy is a carrier of the early-onset familial Alzheimer’s gene, and has been featured in national publications such as People Magazine and was in the PBS documentary Every Minute Counts. Daisy gave a moving and emotional tribute to her mom that left the audience in tears. Her dedication to keeping Alzheimer’s in the national spotlight and out of the shadows made her the perfect recipient of the award this year. The award was presented by Trish and George’s daughter and son Alissa and Tyler Vradenburg.
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2) is an innovative non-profit organization demanding – and delivering – a solution to Alzheimer’s. Driven by the suffering of millions of families, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s presses for greater urgency from government, industry and the scientific community in the quest for an Alzheimer’s cure – accomplishing this through effective leadership, collaborative advocacy and strategic investments.
The Trish Vradenburg Out of the Shadows Dinner is held annually and will take place again on September 25, 2018.
