On June 21, people across the globe, including three teams throughout Lexington, will participate in The Longest Day® to honor the strength, heart and endurance of those facing Alzheimer’s with a day of activity.

The Longest Day is a sunrise-to-sunset team event to raise funds to fuel the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. On The Longest Day, thousands will complete approximately 16 hours of activity ranging from running, cooking and knitting to playing cards, to honor those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Participants in The Longest Day are joining a global conversation about Alzheimer’s disease, the brain and other dementias as part of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June.

Events throughout the area include:

  • The Local Taco – Giveback event
  • Bluegrass Metric Century – 16 miles bike ride
  • Lexington Duplicate Bridge League – all day bridge games

“Now in its sixth year, teams from around Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana continue to grow the support and creativity with their fundraising events,” said DeeAnna Esslinger, Greater Kentucky & Southern Indiana Chapter Executive Director. “The Longest Day has something for everyone. That is the beauty of this signature event of the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Worldwide, there are at least 46 million people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and it is the nation’s sixth leading cause of death. More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, including 70,000 Kentuckians and 110,000 Hoosiers and this number is estimated to grow to as many as 16 million by year 2050. Additionally, there are more than 15 million caregivers, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.

To learn more about The Longest Day, visit alz.org/thelongestday or facebook.com/fightalz.

For more information about Alzheimer’s disease, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.