March 4, 2016

The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema

United States House of Representatives
2433 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Representative Sinema:
We believe that the tide is starting to turn for Alzheimers disease with increases in funding and
new treatments on the horizon. While there is good news, our work is hardly complete. We
remain committed to bringing Alzheimers disease and the toll that it has on women out of
the shadows and into the spotlight. Women suffer from Alzheimers disease twice as much as
men and are twice as likely to care for a loved one with the disease. Caregivers often have
significant financial strain, lose momentum in their own careers, experience lower health
outcomes and compromise their household responsibilities to manage their caregiving role.
WomenAgainstAlzheimers is committed to stopping this disease before it undermines the
health, economic, and social well being of our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and friends. But,
we need your help!
On behalf of the millions of American women battling or caring for those with Alzheimer's, we
invite you to join our Honorary Congressional Committee for our third annual Out of
the Shadows Dinner on September 28th. As a member of this committee, you will be listed on the
honorary host committee for the dinner and in our materials as an important ally of the
Alzheimers disease movement and our desire to bring the disease Out of the Shadows. We will
officially launch our We Won't Wait campaign, along with corporate partners and advocacy
member organizations. We invite you to show your support by having a photo taken in advance of
the evening holding one of our campaign signs. The photos will be on a rolling display during the
event.
Women in their 60s are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as breast cancer. At age 65, a
woman's lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's is one in six, compared with nearly one in 11 for a
man. Women also carry a disproportionate share of the financial and social burden of
Alzheimers. These numbers will only get worse and the resulting drain on the U.S. economy will
have substantial consequences.
As a member of the USAgainstAlzheimer's Network, WomenAgainstAlzheimers amplifies the
powerful voice of women across America to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Our growing network of
women is impatient and outraged with the slow progress being made in the Alzheimers fight
and, driven by our passion, is committed to disrupting current business-as-usual approaches to
funding, research and advocacy to bring Alzheimers out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
We will not rest until a cure is found. Your staff may contact Nella McOsker at
nmcosker@highlanterngroup.com to accept this invitation or ask any questions. Thank you for
your consideration and commitment.
Sincerely,

Trish Vradenburg
Trish Vradenburg
WomenAgainstAlzheimers,
Co-Founder USAgainstAlzheimer's
Network, Co-Founder

Jill Lesser
President, WA2
Board Member, USA2

Meryl Comer
WomenAgainstAlzheimers CoFounder
Geoffrey Beene Foundation
Alzheimer's Initiative, President