The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter will team with 121 Maryland churches to present the 3rd Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday.
Taking place in Central Maryland and on the Eastern Shore, Oct. 20, and debuting in Western Maryland on Nov. 3, the events will inform families touched by Alzheimer’s disease about supportive services and to educate the community about early warning signs and the detection of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which is now the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
“Our goal is to help connect families who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia and don’t know about the Alzheimer’s Association, as well as to reach those who aren’t affected to teach them about risk factors that could contribute to the disease,” said Cass Naugle, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter. “We are thrilled to grow Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday and expand it to Western Maryland.”
To show their support for Alzheimer’s awareness, church members are encouraged to wear purple, the signature color of the Alzheimer’s Association. Pastors and church leaders will provide educational materials and encourage members to become involved in the movement to end Alzheimer’s.
“Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday made members of my congregation understand that they are not alone in this journey,” said Janet Blount, secretary of the Wellness Ministry at Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Woodlawn. ”I was amazed at the number of church members who have a family member, friend or co-worker with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday provided information about the disease and resources that are available.”
“My parents always emphasized that when there is a problem, be a part of the solution. That’s why I’m so passionate about growing this event and creating a world without Alzheimer’s,” said Ernestine Jones-Jolivet, member of Epworth United Methodist Chapel in Baltimore and also a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter. “Purple Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to engage the community in advocacy and focus on the need for a cure for Alzheimer’s.”
During the Oct. 20 events, the Alzheimer’s Association also will distribute brochures about its free conference – the 9th Annual Pythias A. and Virginia I. Jones African American Community Forum on Memory Loss, which will take place Nov. 2, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Coppin State University in Baltimore.
Named in honor of Jones-Jolivet’s parents, both of whom had dementia, the Forum is intended to inform the community about memory loss, to support caregivers, to share the promise of research, and to advise on how to get involved to help conquer this disease. In addition to health screenings and exhibits, it will feature a panel discussion of individuals impacted by dementia, as well as presentations about caregiver issues and community resources for caregivers and people with dementia.
For more information about the 3rd Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday events and the 9th Annual Pythias A. and Virginia I. Jones African American Community Forum on Memory Loss, call the Alzheimer’s Association at 410-561-9099 or visit www.alz.org/maryland.
The Alzheimer’s Association, the world leader in Alzheimer’s research and support, is the first and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s. For more than 30 years, the donor-supported, not-for-profit organization has provided reliable information and care consultation; created supportive services for families; increased funding for dementia research, and influenced public policy changes
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