HOW MUCH HAS YOUR AWARENESS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE INCREASED IN THE LAST 11 YEARS?

It seems I don't know anyone now who can't relay a horrific personal story of destruction caused by this dreadful killer.

This is the 11th year that the Marr Fund Team will run to raise funds for the Josephine and John Marr Alzheimer's Research Fund at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dozens of us will run as members of relay teams and as individual runners of the half-marathon and full-marathon.

To many of us Josephine Marr, who passed away on May 20, 2018 after battling Alzheimer's for over 12 years, was Aunt Penie, to many of us she was Pretty Penie, to others she was a mom, a grandmother, a sister, and a wife and life partner. To SO many others she was a beautiful friend with a truly beautiful spirit. And she was loved deeply and still, even as she rests in peace, she is deeply loved, and now terribly missed.

As cousin Billy Marr has said so eloquently in his post-race remarks of thanks to the huge Marr Fund Team friends and family gathering which takes place each year directly following the race, "you can curse the darkness, or you can light a candle, and we decided to light a candle."

I am happy to join Team Pretty Penie with two of my first cousins, Dan Riley and Ina Salber and Ina?s daughter, Rebecca, our team captain, to honor the memory of our beautiful Aunt "Pretty" Penie, and to continue the fight to gain more understanding about and facilitate more ongoing research in trying to eliminate this terrible disease.

This year, I will have an additional specific person in my heart and mind as I run my leg of the Maine Marathon. One of my best lifelong friends was diagnosed  with Early Onset Alzheimer's just last year at the age of 59. Having grown up together from school days into adulthood, it is very painful and shocking to be apprised of this awful development. He is still, in many ways, himself. But already, in other ways, he is NOT the same guy we've always known. And the knowledge of what he is likely up against now is painful to contemplate.

So, I will also specifically be running for a lifelong friend again this year.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

None of us can ever safely assume we are exempted from the ravaging effects of Alzheimer's.

Thank you all, in advance for your support.

From The Marr Fund Team:

On October 6, 2024 the Marr Fund Team will participate in the 2024 Maine Marathon.  Participants can run or walk? virtually or in person to support the Josephine and John Marr Alzheimer?s Research Fund at Brigham and Women?s Hospital. Established by the Marr family, the fund directly supports novel and early-stage research aimed at preventing Alzheimer?s disease.

We now know that Alzheimer?s begins 20 years or more before the onset of symptoms.  The Marr family ? together with world-renowned researchers at the Brigham ? are focused on finding a way to stop Alzheimer?s disease altogether. Backed by more than 30 years of research, Dr. Reisa Sperling and her team are pioneering innovative approaches to advance the prevention and treatment of this devasting disease, including world-wide prevention clinical trials.

In nine years, the Marr Fund team has already made a great impact on furthering Alzheimer?s prevention research, most notably raising $4.9 million through the Maine Marathon event and serving as a catalyst for many millions in additional support.

Thank you for joining us in this fight to prevent Alzheimer?s.  Together we can make a difference ? now and for future generations.