NEW YORK, NY—Nearly 500
young professionals and others interested in
the cause from the New York metropolitan
area—many of whom have experienced
Alzheimer’s disease in their
families—gathered on October 15 at Arena in
Manhattan for the 5th annual “For
the Love of George,” a cocktail party to
support the programs and services of the
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA).
The
sell-out crowd included actress Susan Lucci,
who lent
her celebrity to the cause by being part of an auction item: a
12-person dinner party at her house.
The
“George” event, hosted by the AFA New York
Junior Committee, featured live
entertainment by dance groove band Booga
Sugar and a live auction emceed by Duncan H.
Scheib,
a renowned auctioneer from
Australia. Other top auction items
included the opportunity for a child to be
ball boy or ball girl at a New York Knick’s
game, and a package of six rounds of golf at
exclusive
New York
golf courses.
Scheib,
who has called hundreds of auctions since
his first one at age 12, said he was
personally touched by the opportunity to
volunteer at the AFA event since his
grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease and
passed away last August.
Alex and
Chris Barnet, the co-chairs of the AFA New
York Junior Committee, created the event to
honor their grandfather, George R. Irvin,
who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
in 2002. Irvin, 81, of
Quogue,
NY and
North Palm Beach,
FL,
passed away in February of 2008.
“For the
Love of George” has since garnered the
support of young professionals and others
dedicated to the cause in cities across the
country as a tribute to Irvin and the
millions of Americans affected by the brain
disorder. This month, AFA also held cocktail
parties in
Chicago and
Nashville, and the event will be debuting in
Toronto and
Boston in the coming weeks.
“Year after
year, the number of people who turn out in
support of this event continues to grow—a
true testament to the fact that this disease
continues to impact families and people of
all ages everywhere,” said Eric J. Hall,
AFA’s president and chief executive officer.
Currently,
as many as 4.5 million Americans have
Alzheimer’s disease, including an estimated
320,000 New Yorkers, and the incidence is
expected to escalate in line with the
nation’s aging population. Age is the
greatest risk factor for the disease, which
causes loss of memory and other intellectual
functions and is among the top 10 leading
causes of death in the
United States.
The
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a
national nonprofit organization
headquartered in New York and made up of
1,200 member organizations that provide
hands-on programs to meet the educational,
emotional, practical and social needs of
families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and
related illnesses. AFA’s services include a
toll-free hot line, counseling, educational
materials, a free caregiver magazine, and
professional training.
For information, call (toll-free)
866-AFA-8484 or visit
www.alzfdn.org
.