The Alzheimer's Association Signs GE Long Term Care Insurance as a National Sponsor of its 2003 Memory Walk

Alzheimer's Association
Thursday, 5 June 2003

The Alzheimer's Association has signed GE Financial's Long Term Care Insurance Division as a national sponsor of its 2003 Memory Walk. For a fourth year, GE Long Term Care Insurance will be organizing its agents and employees to champion the Memory Walk in their local communities. All money raised will go to support local programs and services for those affected by Alzheimer's disease.

"Memory Walk is the single largest fundraising event of the Alzheimer's Association," said Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "We are pleased that GE Long Term Care Insurance, its agents and employees will once again be helping support the 4 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, and nearly 20 million family members affected by its devastation."

Over the last three years, GE Long Term Care's sponsorship and agent efforts have raised more than $2,000,000 to help families coping with Alzheimer's disease. This year, their Memory Walk goal is to raise $1 million -- $750,000 from agents, clients, and others, plus their $250,000 corporate sponsorship. They are the event's largest national walk team.

GE Long Term Care Insurance and the Alzheimer's Association partnership is based in part on their common missions. "Both organizations are dedicated to helping educate the public
on important health concerns and related long term care issues," said Buck Stinson, president of GE Long Term Care Insurance.

The goal of the 2003 Memory Walk is to raise $22.5 million to fund services offered by local Alzheimer's Association chapters including hundreds of telephone help lines and thousands of support groups. The money will also fund local Safe Return Programs that have helped locate and return nearly 8,000 people with Alzheimer's disease who wandered and became lost.

Memory Walk is the Alzheimer's Association's national signature event to help those battling Alzheimer's disease. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $120 million and is the largest national fundraising event for Alzheimer's disease. Memory Walk takes place in more than 500 communities nationwide; most events are held in September and October. Millions of men, women and children will participate as walkers, volunteers and sponsors this year. Participants walk as individuals or as part of a team. Walkers ask friends, family, business associates and others to sponsor them by making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association. Others volunteer their time to register walkers, man checkpoints and offer refreshments.

GE Financial is part of GE Insurance, a global family of companies with $173 billion in assets. GE Insurance provides insurance and reinsurance, risk prevention services, investments, mortgage-related services and financial guarantees for commercial, municipal, retail and consumer customers. GE Insurance is part of the General Electric Company, a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with operations worldwide. GE Long Term Care Insurance products are underwritten by General Electric Capital Assurance Company and, in New York, by GE Capital Life Assurance Company of New York. GE Long Term Care Insurance is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

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