Advocacy Matters
Does advocacy matter? You bet it does!
More than 33,000 advocates chapter-wide persistently emailed, tweeted, marched, called, and visited with their congressional representatives to push for more funding so that we can end Alzheimer’s Disease! For over 5 years we have been calling on Congress to increase funding to NIH for Alzheimer’s research. And in late December our calls were answered…President Barack Obama signed into law a FY2016 federal budget that included an historic $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research. That’s 60% over the $586 million base! This is double the funding level from 5 years ago, when we all worked to get Congress to unanimously pass the National Alzheimer’s Project Act.
Thank you for your courageous voices! This important first commitment is a landmark achievement, and the Alzheimer’s Association is so grateful to the hundreds of thousands of advocates nationwide who joined us to make this triumphant moment possible. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for lending your valuable time to the cause. Thank you for relentlessly calling on your legislators by visiting, emailing, tweeting, and calling. Thanks to all of you who sacrificed personal time and resources to visit with your representative, travel to your state capitol, or journey to our nation’s capitol to tell your story in person.
Should we stop now? Not even close!
According to experts on Alzheimer’s and researchers in this field, we will need $2 billion as a baseline each year, and that is just a start to put us on track for meaningful treatments for this disease. Alzheimer’s falls far behind our government’s investments in cancer, HIV, and heart disease. If we truly want to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, we can’t stop now.
Take a moment, reflect and celebrate this great step in congressional commitment, our achievement together. Then let’s really get that train moving “” next stop: Advocacy Forum 2016.
Join us in Washington, D.C. April 4-6 for the 2016 Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park
This is a unique opportunity to lift our voices together at our nation’s capitol, and tell Congress that Alzheimer’s disease must be a national priority. The forum brings advocates together from across our nation, and provides expert training to help you tell your story and advocate effectively, both on Capitol Hill and back home. The speakers include leaders in Congress, media, and politics, all of whom will help us raise the bar in this fight against Alzheimer’s. The train is already moving, let’s all get on board to stop this disease.
Go to alz.org/forum to learn more about this unforgettable experience. Registration is open now!
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As a caregiver and advocate, I found the Alzheimer’s Advocacy Forum 2015 to be the most inspiring gathering I’ve attended within the Alzheimer’s community. For once, I truly realized that I am not alone in the fight to find a cure, and to help families living with Alzheimer’s in the meantime.
I was intimidated at first because I thought I didn’t know enough to make a difference, but by the time we ascended Capitol Hill I knew exactly what I wanted to say in my meetings with our Congressmen. The conference leadership is extremely well organized and will prepare you very well – all you have to be is willing.
I strongly encourage you to join us for 2016 – you’ll learn a lot, laugh and cry a lot, and come away inspired and empowered.