"The Alzheimer's Association is an organization that really cares and that you can trust. 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."

Diane Young, Founders Society member, has left a generous gift to the Alzheimer's Association in her will.

Diane Young's mother, Ms. Rosetta, was known for her radiating smile and had always been an excellent cook. But one day, Diane's tastebuds were caught off guard. Ms. Rosetta made a pot of collard greens so salty that it made Diane's face reveal an unexpected truth.

"She put the entire container of salt in the pot with the collard greens," Diane recalls. "But of course, my dad didn't say anything. While I said 'Oh, wow, Mom, this is too salty.'"

While caring for their father, Mr. James, who had leukemia, Diane and her siblings had started noticing their mother's memory issues and behavior changes. Eventually, Ms. Rosetta stopped cooking and withdrew from activities she once loved.

After their father passed, the siblings learned he had known about their mother's dementia but chose to care for her himself, never telling them. "That was my dad," Diane says.

Losing her husband was hard on Ms. Rosetta. "She cried every day, saying 'I miss my husband,'" Diane says. "Seeing my mother grieve like that broke my heart. I could see her starting to get depressed, and we could not let that happen to our mom. We're a supporting and loving family."

Diane quit her job to care for her mother at home, with long-distance support from her siblings, as well as church members, family and friends. She learned about the Alzheimer's Association through a friend, but "you know how some caregivers are, 'I don't need them, I can do it myself.' I was one of those," she says.

Diane soon came to appreciate what the Association has to offer. In 2021, she decided to do a fundraiser for the Association in honor of Ms. Rosetta's 101st birthday as part of the organization's annual The Longest Day® program (now known as Do What You Love to End ALZ™).

"My mom had a 'million dollar smile,' loved red roses, and I decorated the whole door with roses and pictures of my mom and everything, and I reached out to all my family and friends on Facebook," she says. "I wanted to raise $101, and I raised $2,801. When I do something, I go all out!"

In 2025, Diane was honored as the Alzheimer's Association Southeastern Virginia Chapter's Volunteer of the Year. Now, she does a fundraiser for the Association every year in honor of her mother's June birthday, and she has also been trained by the Association to raise awareness and deliver caregiver education and support in her community as a volunteer.

"I've had a lot of people crying on my shoulder at these events that I go to, and it just warms my heart because we're there for them as the Alzheimer's Association. We let them know they're not alone. My mom and I were blessed to have our faith, family, pastor, friends and church members with us in the journey."

Ms. Rosetta's legendary smile was consistent each day, no matter her circumstances. After her mother passed away in 2022, Diane made her financial plans for the future.

"As you grow older, your goals and your dreams change, and I knew I had to get my will in order," she says. She made a list of all the nonprofit organizations that are important to her, including the Alzheimer's Association.

"The Alzheimer's Association is an organization that really cares and that you can trust. 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."
 

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!"

Read Andy & Ricci's Story

John Strader

"With 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."

Read John's Story

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."

Read Anjanette's Story

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."

Read JJ & Tim's Story

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."

Read Pat & Dave's Story

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."

Read Russ and Katy's Story

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