Dear Friends:
Four years ago, Part the Cloud was just an idea – how could we make a difference fighting Alzheimer's and start a conversation in Silicon Valley to change the course of this devastating disease? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Part the Cloud would turn into the single largest fundraising event in the history of the Alzheimer's Association.
Since its inception, Part the Cloud has raised over $17 million to support our mission to fund Alzheimer's research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or ultimately curing this disease. 100 percent of these proceeds are hard at work funding 17 research awards, spanning a variety of targets in Alzheimer's disease research.
We look forward to announcing the next round of Part the Cloud grand recipients at our luncheon on February 1, 2017. These awards are specifically designed to accelerate transition of findings from the laboratory, through trials, into possible therapies – filling the gap in Alzheimer's drug development by providing essential support for early phase clinical studies. This year we received 27 applications from five countries (the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom). We are thrilled we have expanded the conversation outside of Silicon Valley to become a truly global effort!
Most recently, we issued a first of its kind Part the Cloud Challenge on Neuroinflammation, which will help increase our understanding of neurodegeneration through advanced imaging and accelerating the development of new therapeutic strategies to slow, stop, or prevent its' progression. From a pool of applicants across the globe, we have selected four finalists to receive $1 million each to develop their proposal over a two-year period. After two years, projects will be evaluated and the researcher with the most outstanding project will be awarded an additional $3 million prize to take the project and the field to the next level.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of your support and awestruck by what we have accomplished together. I invite you to explore our website to learn more about the work we are doing to accelerate critically needed research and raise awareness about this terrible disease. Together, we will Part the Cloud!
Sincerely,
Michaela "Mikey" Hoag
Founder, Part the Cloud
