Throughout the month of May, local nonprofit, Clear Thoughts Foundation (CTF) held their 4th annual Dementia Awareness Month, a remarkable month dedicated to spreading dementia education, research awareness, and hope of a world free of dementia. CTF has a mission laser focused on funding breakthrough drugs and novel treatments to eliminate dementia. Do you have a loved one who has or is currently battling Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body, or other form of dementia? Don't miss learning more about CTF's incredible awareness accomplishments last month through events and community partnerships... you'll want to plan to join them next May to help make a difference!
Community Engagement Activities
CTF organized a variety of community engagement activities designed to educate and engage the public. These included fitness classes with both Pure Edge Performance Training and R.A.W. Training, an interactive booth at Ligonier Country Market, and a featured drink give-back with restaurant, Forbes Tavern. Each initiative provided a way to spread our mission amongst new demographics and raise essential funds, but also brought the community together in a spirit of solidarity. Numerous success stories from these events highlight the generosity and commitment of those involved.
Education and Resources
CTF held an educational event free to the public at University of Pittsburgh on Thursday, May 9th. This evening, named CTF Connect, offered attendees a chance to learn from experts in the field, three renowned CTF Consortium dementia researchers, Dr. Robert Friedlander, Dr. Oscar Lopez, and Dr. Amantha Thathiah. They led presentations discussing dementia's most common disease forms, the challenges of today’s treatment options, and their collaborative research advancements made possible by CTF funding. In addition to holding a Q&A session with attendees, they also provided interactive laboratory tours as well as a dementia simulation.
CTF also released a new episode of their Dementia Uncovered podcast, continuing their efforts to provide more resources to the community. On this episode they chat with Apryl Garrett, Owner & Publisher of Seniors Blue Book Pittsburgh about the incredible information and services offered within this free comprehensive resource guide developed for seniors. Apryl gets personal in sharing her own dementia story, why she is so passionate about her work, and discusses specific categories found within the Seniors Blue Book that can be helpful for families navigating a dementia diagnosis.
Fundraising Initiatives
Fundraising was a key component of CTF’s Dementia Awareness Month this year, as all donations up to $2,000 were doubled… providing 2X the impact! CTF is grateful to pledge matching sponsors, Sippel Development & Lisa Sevcik, for making this opportunity possible.
In tandem with these efforts, Pittsburgh based marketing company, sweb marketing led by Founder Sarah Weber, celebrated five years in business this May. To celebrate, they turned outward to the community launching a non-profit focused Instagram page, The Pittsburgh Web of Good. Their mission is to bridge the gap between Pittsburgh residents and supporting the causes they care about. To do so, Sarah launched a 48 hour $5 giving drive on Instagram supporting five incredible non-profits. Based on Instagram votes, CTF was lucky enough to be one of the five non-profits chosen. This campaign raised over $7,000 in total with over $1,500 allocated to support CTF. In addition, it also garnered news coverage featuring CTF and The Pittsburgh Web of Good launch on KDKA with Kym Gable via her segment, On A Positive Note!
In total, CTF raised over $7,000 from the collective efforts of Dementia Awareness Month, which will be put directly toward the continued research advancements of the CTF Consortium.
Impact and Future Goals
The impact of Dementia Awareness Month was profound, with increased public awareness, enhanced community support, and significant funds raised for dementia research. Looking ahead, CTF aims to build on this momentum by setting ambitious goals for future educational initiatives and continued support of research.
CTF's 2024 Dementia Awareness Month was a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose. The events and activities not only raised awareness, but also provided hope for those impacted by dementia. As CTF moves forward, they remain committed to their mission of funding the discovery of breakthrough drugs and novel treatments to eliminate dementia... so that one day we can all live in a world free of dementia.
Learn more about CTF at https://clearthoughtsfoundation.org
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