I have pledged my support of Blondes vs. Brunettes in memory of Alice, who was the mother of my husband, Jess. I never knew my husband's father, Don...who also died of Alzheimer's Disease....but I was a friend of Alice's before I ever met Jess. In fact, it was at her annual Christmas party where she craftily managed among a crowd of 300 that I would for the first time meet Jess, who was home from graduate school visiting his mother for the holiday. She was like that....thoughtful, smart, witty, ever-thinking...a beautifully graceful Southern lady.

I would not know then that the early years of my marriage would be dedicated to pinpointing the cause of an abrupt change in Alice’s behavior and mental acuity. While Jess was attending law school, I took her to doctor after doctor. I recall the sickening feeling the day I was shown pictures of her brain that had shriveled from the size of a grapefruit to a tangerine. She was diagnosed with "pre-senile dementia" at the age of 52....a woman younger then than I am now.

In the more than 20 years since Alice's diagnosis, research and treatment therapies for Alzheimer's patients have advanced considerably. For many years after Alice's diagnosis, I proudly volunteered at Sheltering Arms Senior Services to help develop its in-home care programs for the elderly and those with dementia, to help develop respite programs for caregivers, and to construct an Alzheimer's Day Center in Houston. While I am still involved with Sheltering Arms, I was introduced to the Alzheimer's Association of Houston ...... last year through a Saturday afternoon powder-puff football game.

I was amazed and uplifted to witness the dedication of men and women in their 20's and 30's in raising money to propel the critical mission of the Alzheimer's Association through its local chapter. I connected with the personal experiences that many of them have had with parents and grandparents struck down by Alzheimer's. I am particularly moved by their work to develop Blondes vs. Brunettes into a national effort to increase awareness and raise funds among a generation who in its lifespan may see an end to Alzheimer's Disease as we know it now.

I hope you will make a small pledge and join me as a cheerleader for the coaches and players of Blondes vs. Brunettes as they yet again cross the goal line to advance the vision of the Alzheimer's Association.