DAYTON — The Miami Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association has won the prestigious honor of being named the top Alzheimer’s Chapter in the United States.
The Chapter of the Year designation, known as the Crystal Award, is the top national award given to an Alzheimer’s Association chapter for exemplary execution of the Association’s mission, which is to advance research, provide support and enhanced care to families dealing with Alzheimer’s and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
The Crystal Award is given annually to one of more than 70 chapters nationwide. This is the first time the Miami Valley Chapter has won the honor. It is for the chapter’s performance in fiscal year 2018.
Eric VanVlymen, Miami Valley Alzheimer’s Association Executive Director and Director of Region 10 said, “what excites me about this award is all the things we said we would accomplish for the mission we did at the highest level.”
“I think the community should know that the chapter worked to end the disease, enhanced care and support and that we have one of the most generous communities in terms of fundraising,”
The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support, advocacy and research. The Miami Valley Chapter is the premier organization and advocate for local families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive fatal brain disease which impacts 30,000 people in the Miami Valley and 90,000 caregivers in a nine-county region. Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, affects 5.7 million people nationwide and it kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Through education and advocacy, the Miami Valley Chapter raises money for research to find new treatments and to find a cure. Every day, the Chapter counsels families through its 24/7 telephone Helpline and provides educational programs and support groups for caregivers to help improve the care they provide to their loved ones.
Last year, the Chapter had 9,000 engagements with local families, which represented a 15 percent increase. More than 4,500 people participated in the Miami Valley’s 2018 Walks to End Alzheimer’s, raising over $750,000 for the fight. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the second highest non-profit fundraising event in the Miami Valley.
