Bob Marino lost both of his parents to Alzheimer's. His mother, Juanita, lived with the disease for six years before dying at age 79. Four years later, his father, Frank, started exhibiting signs of mild cognitive impairment that gradually worsened. Frank died at age 89 after living with Alzheimer's for five years.

"Alzheimer's disease has been the greatest heartbreak of my life, but it's also brought me to the most rewarding work I've ever done," Bob says.

After his mother's death, Bob got involved with the Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter, as both a volunteer and a donor. He joined the chapter's advocacy committee and "got completely hooked" on talking to legislators, both locally and in Washington, D.C., about the duress families are under and the ripple effect it creates. He also wanted to disabuse legislators of the idea that Alzheimer's disease is a normal part of aging, and to explain that the disease can occur in those much younger than most people realize.

Bob's volunteer efforts earned him the Association's Maureen Reagan Outstanding Advocate Award in 2006 and the honor of chairing the Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM) Advocacy Forum in 2016. He now serves as a member at large of the AIM Board of Directors.

As his volunteer work for the Association grew, so did Bob's generosity, which began with small donations when his mother was diagnosed and increased as he became more involved with his chapter. A member of both the Aspire Society and the AIM Leadership Society, he describes giving to the Alzheimer's Association as "an absolute privilege."

Knowing firsthand how painful it is to watch a loved one succumb to Alzheimer's, Bob says he is in a constant state of awe at the courage and commitment of Alzheimer's advocates.

"I remember my parents talking about the terror they and others experienced whenever a child got a bad case of the flu, fearing it might be polio," Bob says. "I want to be able to talk about Alzheimer's disease that way — that it was once a disease to be feared and now isn't."

Learn more about the Aspire Society and ways you can get involved.