Alzheimer's Association® And Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Collaborate To Educate And Advocate In The Fight Against Alzheimer's

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May 26, 2015, 11:15 ET

CHICAGO, May 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Association is proud to announce a nationwide partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) to help raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and increase education, care and support resources in the African-American community. This partnership will engage both campus and alumni members of AKA through local community outreach efforts and participation in The Longest Day^®, a signature Alzheimer's Association event.

"African-Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's and other dementias, however they are less likely to be diagnosed, or diagnosed at a much later stage. This partnership will help the Association better connect African-Americans with important Alzheimer's information and support," said Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, AKA, International President.

AKA, the nation's oldest African-American sorority, is a trusted source of information within the African-American community. Members of AKA will work with the Alzheimer's Association in communities nationwide to better engage the African-American community in the full mission of the Association.

"This new partnership between the Alzheimer's Association and AKA will directly address the need to better reach, educate and engage the African-American community in Alzheimer's education, care, support, research and advocacy," said Beth Kallmyer, MSW, vice president of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association.

AKA and the Alzheimer's Association will work together in a variety of ways including:

Connecting the Alzheimer's Association to community partners, businesses, contacts and churches to open the doors for Alzheimer's education, care and support
Volunteering for Alzheimer's Association events, activities and planning committees
Becoming a trained Alzheimer's community educator or support group leader
Becoming an Alzheimer's Association advocate

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. For more information, visit www.alz.org.

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of more than 283,000 members in 988 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, Liberia, the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Germany, South Korea, Bermuda, Japan, Canada and South Africa. Led by International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, Alpha Kappa Alpha is often hailed as "America's premier Greek-letter organization for African-American women." For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, log onto www.aka1908.com.