Advocate Profile — Garrett Davis

As an actor and playwright, Garrett Davis knows just how powerful a person's voice can be. So it was not a leap for him to begin using his voice to advocate for the cause most important to him, Alzheimer's disease. As an Alzheimer's Association® Ambassador, Garret serves as a liaison between the Association and the office of North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr. "I take my role as an Ambassador very seriously," Garrett says. "I'm the voice of the people who can't speak for themselves."

Garrett's grandmother died of Alzheimer's disease when he was in college. He created the "Forget Me Not Project" as a tribute to his grandmother and the family members who cared for her. The play explores one family's experience with Alzheimer's and aims to raise awareness of the disease and the need for increased support, services and federal funding.

In the course of researching the play, Garrett learned how underfunded Alzheimer's research is, and that spurred him to become involved with the Association. In addition to serving as Ambassador, he attended his first Alzheimer's Association Advocacy Forum in April 2012. "If we're going to change how America looks at this disease, we all have to take part," he says.

While his professional background may seem like good preparation for his advocacy efforts, he says the role of Alzheimer's advocate is one anyone can play. "All you have to do is tell your story," he says. "If you tell it to the right person, you could make a difference. But you have to tell your story."

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