Rotary District 7730

DG Jay and PDG Milt present a check to Dr. Soto in Texas for research.

• Established in 1995 and has raised over $1 million
• Will lead to a prevention or cure of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Initiated by the Rotary Club in Sumter and has spread to all the Rotary Districts in SC, NC and GA
• Simply asks Rotarians to donate their loose change at the weekly meetings — it is estimated that on any given day over $8.25 billion in loose change passes among our citizens
• Was developed with the idea of accomplishing its goals without interfering with other club projects
• Has made grants to:
• $100,000 Emory University’s Alzheimer’s Research Center
• $250,000 Case Western University
• $250,000 Johns Hopkins University
• $250,000 University of Pennsylvania
• $250,000 University of Connecticut Health Center
• $250,000 UCLA (2005)
• $250,000 University of Texas (2006)

The effectiveness of donated change can be illustrated by considering that in the 11 Rotary Districts in the Carolinas and in Georgia, there are approximately 35,100 Rotarians. Assuming 85% attendance at 48 meetings a year and an average donation of just 35 cents, we can raise over $500,000 annually.

Statistics on Alzheimers

• An estimated 4.5 million people in the US have Alzheimer’s disease.
• An estimated 19 million people have a family member with the disease.
• Approximately 14 million people in the US will have Alzheimer’s disease by the middle of the 21st century unless science finds a way to prevent or cure the disease.
• 1:10 persons over age 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s.

Compiled by Esther Hynes, District CART committee