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A Birthday Party to Celebrate Aging–and the Research Behind It

June 4, 2014   |   Alliance for Aging Research Team   |   ACT-AD (Accelerate Cure/Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease), Alzheimer's Disease

Talaya Waller turns 29 this month, and she’s throwing a big party in Washington, D.C., on June 21. A Southern Soirée type of party.

I’ll be the first to admit, cultural philistine that I am, I haven’t been to too many soirée type of parties. But Talaya (pictured at right) intends to celebrate her birthday milestone with an evening of elegance and class.

There’s also a deeper reason why Talaya is going to these lengths to throw a party. She’s not really doing it for herself; she’s doing it in honor of her grandmother and to aid research behind the causes of aging.

Talaya shares more,

“For most people, a 29th birthday may not carry much significance as other milestone birthdays. However, for my 29th birthday, I had the urge to do something meaningful and charitable. My paternal grandma has suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for the past five years. So, this birthday, instead of honoring my life, I wanted to honor my grandma’s life by hosting a charity soirée that focuses on Alzheimer’s disease research and awareness.”

After she came up with the idea, she then turned to finding an organization to support. After some research, she came across the Alliance and our ACT-AD initiative. She learned more about our focus on finding the underlying causes for aging. She also discovered how our ACT-AD coalition is working to accelerate the development of potential cures and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease through research.

As Talaya explains, “Although there are many organizations to choose from, it was very important to me to find a nonprofit that is effective in implementing its mission and is financially responsible with the donations and funding that it receives. My search concluded with the Alliance for Aging Research, the parent organization of the coalition to Accelerate Cures/Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.”

She cited our mission as well as our fiscal responsibility highlighted by Charity Navigator as the reasons for choosing the Alliance.

Talaya looks forward to celebrating her birthday at her soirée, but mostly, she hopes to raise awareness and some financial support for a cause that’s very close to her heart and family.

If you would like to learn more about Talaya’s event, or support her birthday wish to further Alzheimer’s research by making a donation, please visit her birthday page. “Birthdays are a reminder that everyone ages,” says Talaya. “I invite you to support a cause that works toward helping all of us live longer, stronger lives.”We are very grateful to Talaya for her support and wish her a very happy birthday.

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