Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Raises $1.2M at Seventh Annual Memories Matter Event at American Museum of Natural History

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) celebrated the Seventh Annual Memories Matter event on April 11.

The event was hosted at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The ADDF celebrated its Seventh Annual Memories Matter event in NYC for Alzheimer’s research. Greenwich resident Wendy Wilshin co-chaired the event, which raised $1.2 million. Pictured: Ian and Stephanie Ginsberg, Wendy Wilshin, Ronald Dickerman. Photo credit: Clark Jones.

In a special evening of hope and optimism, the occasion brought together 500 people to celebrate and support groundbreaking research in Alzheimer’s disease.

The event raised $1.2 million, one hundred percent of which will go directly to support the ADDF’s mission to accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. The ADDF funds and advances the most promising research worldwide, playing a vital role in moving the needle closer to a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Memories Matter co-founders Stephanie Ginsberg and Wendy Wilshin both spoke about their families’ journeys with Alzheimer’s and their work with the ADDF, and celebrated the remarkable progress this event has made in the last seven years as it continues to grow each year.

Ms Wilshin and her husband Ronald Dickerman are Greenwich residents.

Mr. Ginsberg and Ms Wilshin shared their appreciation for the generous support they have received from friends, colleagues and families affected by Alzheimer’s.

“It’s a moment of immense gratitude as we share that, together, over the past seven years we’ve raised more than seven million dollars. These funds have directly fueled promising research in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease,” Wilshin said.

Ginsberg added, “Our journey with Memories Matter has been remarkable. When we started the event, the landscape of Alzheimer’s research was quite different. Yet here we are today, witnessing and contributing to pioneering progress, where we now have disease modifying drugs that are proven to work for the first time.”

“As we celebrate our achievements and the advancements in Alzheimer’s research, we also remember the personal stories that inspire our work. Together, we stand at the forefront of monumental progress, driven by hope, determination and the unwavering support of each one of you. It’s crucial we keep up the pace and continue to invest in research. We must see an end to Alzheimer’s in our lifetime,” said Wilshin.

Guests were gifted a bottle of Italy’s finest Filippo Berio olive oil, one of the premiere sponsors of the event, to promote the Mediterranean diet, which has been attributed to benefitting brain health. Additional sponsors included LifeWorx, Madison International Realty and Round Pond Wine.

Notable guests included Hope and Marc Altheim, Bal Agrawal, Ron Dickerman and Wendy Wilshin, Cindy and Glen Edelman, Harris Faulkner and Tony Berlin, Joel Florin, Stephanie and Ian Ginsberg, Nancy Goodes, Elizabeth and Paul Greenbaum, Thomas Hennessy of the New York Jets, Josh and Katherine Lauder, Alicia and Stephen Nussdorf, Cindy and Laurence Tell, Jules and Joe Watson, among others.

For more information about the ADDF, please visit www.alzdiscovery.org.

Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease.

The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF’s leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer’s PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current robust and diverse drug pipeline.

Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $290 million to fund over 750 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 20 countries.  To learn more, please visit:  http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.