WTVM Editorial 03/22/23: Dancing Against Dementia

Published: Mar. 22, 2023 at 12:07 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Many of us know someone touched by Alzheimer’s Disease, because 1 in 3 seniors dies from the devastating illness every year.

You might not know that Alzheimer’s kills more seniors than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Six million Americans suffer with Alzheimer’s today and by 2050, that number will balloon to 13 million.

It’s absolutely urgent to find better treatments - and eventually a cure - for this cruel disease that robs our loved ones of their life by robbing them of their life stories – their memories.

One way we can all make a dent in this monumental task is to support our local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Dancing Stars competition.

For the past two years, WTVM has been intimately involved in this effort and we ask you to join us. In 2022, anchor Barbara Gauthier raised thousands as one of the Dancing Stars of Columbus. Together Barbara and the other local dancers raised $316,000 for local Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

This year, Barbara’s co-anchor Jason Dennis is a Dancing Star of Columbus, practicing his moves daily and hoping to meet his $20,000 fundraising goal when he performs live on April 13th.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Jason and his fellow Dancing Stars will need to hit their goals because in 2023, dementia treatment will cost the country $345 billion dollars.

Money raised locally stays in the local community to support daily care for thousands of Alzheimer’s patients.

I invite you to join WTVM, our staff and clients, many of whom have donated to Jason’s goal.

There is an easy-to-find link to donate at wtvm.com/dance, and no amount is too little.

In the next three weeks we’ll be sharing Jason’s commitment to his dancing and progress towards his fundraising to fight Alzheimer’s.

We hope you can make a contribution, too - money that will help the Alzheimer’s Association make a real difference in the quality of life for dementia patients and perhaps the life of someone you love.