I'm leading the way to Alzheimer's first survivor by participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®  My team and I have been volunteering with The Alzheimer's Association for what is now our 6th year.

For the Kipp family, like so many others, this is personal.  We know firsthand the heartache of caring for a loved one as they slowly slip away from you.  On January 9, 2018, my beloved mother in law, Viola Hazelaar Kipp, lost her several year battle.  In 2023 my dear Uncle Ed Sartain, my Daddy’s youngest brother, lost his.  Uncle Ed was only 4 years my senior, which made him feel more like an older brother than an uncle. He was always my protector and called me “doodler” because I was always drawing and “doodling” as a child.  We lost him on July 2nd 2022, way too soon.  Prior to Uncle Ed, we also lost  my sweet as pie Uncle Ray "Boog" Sartain, dearest Aunt Carolyn "Callie" Sartain Brown, two cool cousins who died too young also, Kerry Sartain and Linda Sartain Johnson, and my great Uncle Franklin Hathcote. In my teens, I lost my paternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Jones Hathcote.  This year, my friend, Karl Geesey lost the battle, and as I write to you, my Mother's best friends of 60 + years, Audrey Winters, is agonizingly progressing with this terrible disease.  It is so hard to witness. Each year I work hard to raise funds for the Association so that one day we will no longer see families destroyed by dementia.  Every 3rd person that you know will die with some form of dementia.  Scary, isn't it?  We would like to invite you to join us in this fight... To see the first person survive from Alzheimer's!

Currently, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's , and more than 16 million friends and family members who provide care for them.  The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.

Together, we can end Alzheimer's disease. Please make a donation to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. 

Thank you for joining the fight against Alzheimer's!

Sincerely,

Sharon Sartain Kipp