Joining the Fight Against Alzheimer's at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

CHICAGO, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bankers Life and Casualty Company's annual Forget Me Not Days® event to benefit the Alzheimer's Association will tip off on Friday, March 22^nd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The first 8,000 fans in attendance for the Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks game will receive a packet of Forget-Me-Not flower seeds to take home and plant in honor of families across Indiana who are facing Alzheimer's.

More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease including 120,000 people in Indiana alone.  As the population ages, these numbers are projected to exponentially increase, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

"The staggering statistics further open our eyes to the destructive track this disease is on," said Scott Perry, president of Bankers Life, the national life and health insurer.  "That is why each year we make a commitment to raise money to support the Alzheimer's Association and its local chapters through Forget Me Not Days fundraising and corporate donations."

Since 2003, Bankers Life has supported the Alzheimer's Association with nearly $3 million for care, education and research programs. 

"Thousands of Hoosiers struggling with Alzheimer's disease use our services at no cost each year.  We rely on donations to provide this care, support and education as researchers work tirelessly to find a cure," Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana Chapter Executive Director Heather Hershberger said.  "Bankers Life and Casualty Company is a key supporter.  We are grateful for the company's commitment to our vision: a world without Alzheimer's disease."

In May, more than 1,000 Bankers Life agents and employees across 180 U.S. cities will go out into the community to collect donations for local chapters of the Alzheimer's Association and raise awareness of the disease.  Volunteers will hand out packets of Forget-Me-Not flower seeds in exchange for the donations. 

Last year, the annual street corner fundraiser brought in donations of more than $320,000 for the Association and almost 300,000 seed packets were handed out to donors and passersby.

About Bankers Life and Casualty Company
Established in 1879 in Chicago, Bankers Life and Casualty Company focuses on the insurance needs of the retirement market.  The nationwide company, a subsidiary of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO), offers a broad portfolio of health and life insurance and annuities designed especially for retirees.  To learn more, visit Bankers.com.

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.  Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; to advocate for policy change; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.  For more information, visit alz.org.

SOURCE Bankers Life and Casualty Company