Linda Mendelson Named Civic Honoree of Alzheimer's Association's 2003 Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala

Alzheimer's Association
Monday, 7 April 2003

The Alzheimer's Association has named Chicago resident Linda Mendelson its Civic Honoree for the 16th Annual Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala.Ms. Mendelson will be recognized for her outstanding support of the association at the gala on May 10 at the Civic Opera House.

Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn is honorary chair of the event, which is an annual tribute to her mother, Hollywood legend Rita Hayworth, who died with Alzheimer's disease. Reginald and Gail Garratt of Burr Ridge are the co-chairs. The gala's theme, "The Loves of Carmen," is taken from the 1948 movie starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.

Like many other supporters, a personal connection to the disease drove Ms. Mendelson to the Alzheimer's Association; it claimed the life of her mother. For over a decade, Linda Mendelson's support has helped the association fund research and provide care and support to the four million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and another 19 million family members affected by its devastation.

In addition to serving on the association's National Board of Directors, she is a member of the 2003 Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala Steering Committee. In 1997, she and her husband Robert served as gala co-chairs. Ms. Mendelson has been active in many other charitable causes, through her work with the Jewish Children's Bureau, Children's Memorial Hospital, Juvenile Protective Association, American Cancer Society, Five Hospital Homebound Program, and on the Patient and Family Advocacy Advisory Board of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University and the Advisory Board of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern University, Ms. Mendelson epitomizes the highest principles of civic duty.

Tickets for the gala begin at $500 per person. For more information about the gala or to order tickets, call the Alzheimer's Association at (312) 335-5893. Catering for the evening will be provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events, with dance music from The City Lights Orchestra and floral arrangements from Kehoe Designs. Bankers Life and Casualty Company is the gala's premier corporate sponsor. All monies raised through the Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala directly support research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and cure of Alzheimer's disease. Since its inception in 1987, the Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala has raised more than $10 million.

The Alzheimer's Association is the premier source of information and support for the 4 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Through its national network of chapters, and with the generous support of its sponsors, the association is able to offer a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, their families and caregivers. The largest private funder of Alzheimer research in the United States, the Association has committed $136 million toward research into the disease. The Rita Hayworth Galas, held annually in Chicago and New York, are the Alzheimer's Association's signature fund-raising events.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org