The greenish-blue glow appearing in Friday’s night sky in Colorado Springs and other cities won’t be Mother Nature’s northern lights but intentional spotlighting of a serious disease that affects nearly 7 million people in the United States.
For the 11th year, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is requesting that prominent landmarks be illuminate with the color teal Nov. 1 to mark the beginning of a monthlong awareness campaign about the debilitating form of dementia. Teal is the signature awareness color for the organization, which raises money for Alzheimer’s research.
There are 1,300 buildings in the United States and 16 other countries that will shine a teal beacon for “Light the World in Teal,” on Friday including these Colorado Springs landmarks: The Broadmoor World Arena, The Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and Sunrise at University Park.
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Denver’s Capitol building will be lit, as well as other notable Denver structures such as Ball Arena, McNichols Civic Center Building and Union Station.
Across the globe, coliseums, convention centers, bridges, government buildings and others will participate, from the Empire State Building and New York Stock Exchange Building in New York City to the Pawtucket River Bridge in Rhode Island to the House of Blues Music Hall in Anaheim, Calif. Numerous Sunrise senior Living centers, which offer residential memory care, also have joined the initiative.
Nearly 91,000 Colorado residents have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, a number that’s expected to increase to 92,000 by next year.
The statewide association also reports that more than 177,000 Coloradans served as unpaid caregivers for family or friends last year, at a value of $7.2 billion.
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Nationwide, nearly $1 of every $5 in Medicare funds is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the national foundation reports. With the aging population, that’s expected to jump to $1 of every $3 spent by 2050.
The disease is the fifth leading cause of death of Americans ages 65 and older and the only leading cause of death without a cure or prevention.
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Publish date : 2024-10-31 08:32:00
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