Twice the Impact During the Dog Days of Summer
Twice the Impact During the Dog Days of Summer
Our End of Summer 2x Match is underway, but not for long. From now until midnight on Aug. 31, your gift can have double the impact on advancing research and helping provide care and support for those impacted by Alzheimer’s.
Donate NowJohn Strader
"Lisa and I are lucky. Our assets will most likely outlive us. With my passion for the work I'm doing with the Association, and the dire necessity to improve the situation for the people that are living with this disease and the people that are caring for them, I decided this is the best place to invest our estate after Lisa and I are gone."
John and Lisa Strader, Founders Society members, have included the Alzheimer's Association in their legacy plans.
In 2014, John Strader started to notice the early signs of Alzheimer's in his wife, Lisa. "Different people approach it different ways," John says. "Some people are accepting and want to learn and understand and do what they can to mitigate it. That was not my wife. My wife went into complete denial and refused to see a doctor … it was really a difficult time."
It was years before they finally got to a doctor. By that point, the disease had progressed significantly. At that time, there was still very little that the medical community could do.
"I was finally able to get my wife to a doctor," John says. "And I could see other people struggling with the disease - husbands taking care of wives, wives taking care of husbands, daughters taking care of mothers. And it broke my heart. It really did."
In 2019, John decided to retire so that he could spend more time taking care of Lisa. Through his local Florida chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, he found a support group for caregivers.
"I wanted to give whatever benefit my experience had to help other people who weren't as far along on the journey," he says. "And I found that tremendously satisfying. I still belong to that group to this day."
Now, Lisa is cared for by a team of home health aides who support her around the clock, giving John more time to increase his involvement with the Association.
"She's well cared for here at home," John says. "I've done everything I can to see that she's comfortable and has everything she needs. Since I'm retired, with time on my hands, and still possess a reasonably agile brain, I decided I wanted to get involved."
He joined the Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM), a separately incorporated advocacy affiliate of the Alzheimer's Association. AIM develops and advances federal and state policies to overcome Alzheimer's and all other dementia through increased investment in research, enhanced care and improved support. In 2023, he began joining rallies to lobby elected officials in both Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. which he continues today.
"I really appreciate all that's being done in the realm of research; it's necessary," he says. "We need to find the cure for this thing. But at the end of the day, if we don't find a cure for another 10, 20, 30 years, there are all these real-world crisis situations going on right now in millions of families around the country."
John's dedication to fighting Alzheimer's and other dementias also led him to include the Association in his estate plans, making the Straders proud members of the Founders Society.
"Lisa and I are lucky," John says. "Our assets will most likely outlive us. With my passion for the work I'm doing with the Association, and the dire necessity to improve the situation for the people that are living with this disease and the people that are caring for them, I decided this is the best place to invest our estate after Lisa and I are gone."
John and Lisa's commitment will leave an impact on their community for generations to come, and it's a legacy John knows Lisa would be happy with as well.
"If you're someone who needs help with, or is looking to offer help, with dementia-related issues, the Alzheimer's Association is the absolute best organization you could be involved with," John says.
Interested in this type of gift?
John and Lisa Strader are making their gift to the Alzheimer's Association through a beneficiary designation. You can find more information about what this means at the link below.
Donor spotlight
Andy and Ricci Sanchez
"We hope there are more promising breakthroughs while we're still here, and we want to be part of this battle even when we're gone. We'll never stop!"
Diane Young
"I want to help the Association continue its work on research, clinical trials and free resources for caregivers. Without money, they can't do those things. That's going to be a part of my legacy to my mom."
Anjanette Kichline
"I'm so proud to be able to honor my father and other family members who lost their fights to Alzheimer's. My dad was an inspiration to me, and I hope, through my gift, I can inspire others to join the fight to end Alzheimer's."
JJ and Tim Jordan
"A world without Alzheimer's is the legacy we would like to leave behind. Hopefully, whatever we end up leaving will help support other families like ours. We would not have survived without the Association. We just never felt alone."
Pat and Dave Krebs
"We want to play an active part in the vision of the Alzheimer's Association — that one day, there will be a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia."
Russ and Katy Wing
"I chose to create a charitable gift annuity to benefit the Alzheimer's Association — a meaningful way to give back while receiving lifetime income. It's a win-win."
Find your local Alzheimer's Association Planned Giving Advisor
Our planned giving team is here to answer questions about including the Alzheimer's Association in a will, trust, beneficiary designations or other legacy planning opportunities.
Contact the planned giving team
Jill Workman
Alzheimer's Association
Senior Director, Planned Giving
Phone: 866.233.5148
Email: plannedgiving@alz.org
The information provided on this website is presented solely as general educational information and is not intended to be a substitute for professional estate planning, financial or legal advice. It is important to consult with a tax, financial and/or legal advisor about your specific situation.