On the recordSeptember 21, 2010
I rise today to honor the Minnesotans and their families affected by Alzheimer's disease and recognize September 21 as World Alzheimer's Day. Today, over 94,000 Minnesotans and 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. These are epidemic numbers, and the toll on our families and communities is devastating. Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death and costs our Nation $172 billion a year. But today, on World Alzheimer's Day, we have reason to be hopeful. On this day, Alzheimer's is getting the attention it deserves. Take the first ever Alzheimer's Breakthrough Ride as an example. For the last 66 days, Alzheimer's researchers from across the country biked hundreds of miles to spread awareness about Alzheimer's. Today, these researchers arrived in Washington to demand that the fight against Alzheimer's be made a national priority. I am proud to say that among the researchers on the ride is Minnesota doctor Michael Walters of the University of Minnesota's Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care. Dr. Walters rode from Madison, WI, to Chicago, IL, to raise awareness about Alzheimer's. He is here in Washington to demand that we in Congress provide the funding needed to make real progress against this disease. And we need real progress. After decades of research, there is still no effective treatment and no way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's.
