Ami Simms is on a mission.  This quilt book author, pattern designer, and fiber artist has developed a program to raise awareness and to fund research for Alzheimer's disease.  Her project, the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, has two parts: a traveling art quilt exhibit interpreting Alzheimer's in fiber art that will tour the US for three years, and an on-going sale of small art quilts. All proceeds will go to Alzheimer's research. The deadline for submitting a quilt for the traveling exhibit is June 5, 2006. The prospectus is located at http://www.AlzQuilts.org .

If you are a quiltmaker, you can use your talents to make "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts."  These are very small mini-quilts (maximum size: 9" x 12") named for the urgent need for research dollars and for the USPS priority mailers used to send the donation quilts to the buyers.  Again, all proceeds will go to Alzheimer's research.  

If you are not a quiltmaker, but would still like to help, you can purchase one of the "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts that are periodically offered for sale on the website.  Another way to help is to purchase Beebe's Hand Painted Notecards.  These notecards are hand painted by an 82 year old former quilter/Alzheimer's patient.

Alzheimers disease, a form of dementia, affects approximately four million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death among adults.  It affects men and women equally.