PRESS RELEASE
Two Minnesota Sisters Strive to Hit $1 Million Fundraising Milestone for The Alzheimer's Association and Local Caregiver Relief
The 11th Annual Bash For Brains Event is September 7, 2024, with a Focus on 'Serving the Now, Saving the Future' and hopes to ease caregiving burdens for more Minnesotans.
[Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Woodbury, Minn.] – Last year saw the most dramatic advance in Alzhemier’s care, with a new drug approved by the FDA helping slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. In Minnesota alone, roughly one in 10 adults age 65+ have Alzheimer’s who mainly rely upon unpaid, family caregivers; this is where the Bash for Brains story begins.
Sisters Leah Huxtable and Eva Thompson began Bash for Brains in 2013 to support their mother Lucy, and other families experiencing the burden of Alzheimers. In 2017 there were an estimated 171,000 Minnesotan adult caregivers of people with dementia, who provided 156 million hours of unpaid care with a value around $3.4 billion. The Woodybury-based Bash for Brains fundraising event has been closing the gap for 10 years to help local families. This year, that work continues, with a new spotlight on the next decade and how to prepare families for what Alzheimer’s could bring.
“Experiencing our mom, Lucy’s, decline due to Alzheimer’s was incredibly challenging,” said Leah Huxtable, co-chair of Bash for Brains. “Caring for her felt like an endless cycle, balancing the demands of being a caregiver with all other aspects of life. With the recent breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, our hope has been renewed, but it’s crucial that we continue to support those who are currently struggling with this disease, and prepare families for the future of what could come.
The Bash for Brains Fund mission is to raise funds for the Alzhemier’s association and provide financial relief to local families who take on the full-time responsibility of caring for a loved one with dementia. In 2023, the Bash For Brains awarded four $10,000 grants. These grants allowed their families to bring in professional support for their loved-ones so they could get the rest they needed, have time to take care of other responsibilities, and ultimately become better caregivers themselves.
“After our mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2013, and learning this disease is the only leading cause of death in the U.S. with no cure, no treatment, and no prevention, we put all our effort into caring for her as best we could,” said Eva Thompson, co-chair of Bash for Brains. “This year has given us hope with the FDA approving a new medication that helps slow cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. We are passionate about making positive strides towards the mission of finding the first survivor of Alzheimer’s Disease. We want to be there for our children, future generations, and help current families ease their own caregiving burden.
Now celebrating the 11th Anniversary, the local nonprofit hopes to raise $250,000 to reach a lifetime fundraising goal of $1 million. The Bash for Brains hopes to give out four grants of $10,000 each to families affected by the disease, with the other half of the money raised going directly to the Alzheimer’s Association in support of continued research and advancements
Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday, September 7th event. Attendees will experience the event’s first ever Beer and Wine Garden, live music, food and drinks on-site, access to silent auction and raffle items valued at over $50,000 and more. VIP upgrades are available, offering onsite parking, a private bartender and catering from Tori Ramen. This year, attendees also have the opportunity to start a fundraising team with the goal of raising $10,000. Purchase your ticket(s), donate, and learn more about Bash For Brains at bashforbrains.com.
About Bash for Brains
Since 2013, the Bash for Brains has supported the Twin Cities Walk to End Alzheimer’s. In 2018, the Bash for Brains Fund was seeded in conjunction with the Woodbury Community Foundation. The mission of the Fund is to provide much-needed relief from the never-ending daily tasks of caring for a loved one with dementia. Recipients will benefit from the fund through financial assistance toward professional caregiving. The year’s annual Bash is Saturday, September 7th, and details can be found here: https://www.bashforbrains.com/bash-details.
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