I never knew my Grandpa Thompson. Every summer our family would drive from South Bend, IN to Massachusetts to visit extended family. I have vague memories as a child visiting Grandpa in a nursing home, but he didn't seem to know who we - his own grandkids - were.

I'll never forget the day my Dad called Grandpa from the phone in our kitchen and he didn't remember his own son. I'd never seen my Dad cry before that day.

So many have experienced the horrible impact dementia has had on loved ones. In the last year alone, multiple friends' parents have been diagnosed or passed away due to Alzheimer's. Every day, it seems another person in our orbit has been diagnosed with early onset dementia or Alzheimer's. As we get older, it's impossible not to think about it coming for us as well.

Dementia takes so much from people towards the end of their lives, and that is why I'm raising money for the Alzheimer's Association.

No family should have to watch their loved ones' memories disappear before their eyes. No one should have to experience the cruel reality of forgetting their own children, their life's work, or who they are. Yet right now, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and millions more family member caregivers are watching, heartbroken and exhausted.

But here's what gives me hope: research is making incredible strides. The Alzheimer's Association is funding breakthrough studies that are getting us closer to treatments, better care, and ultimately, a cure. They're supporting families right now with resources and programs that make an impossible situation just a little more bearable. And they're advocating for policies that will change the landscape of dementia care in this country.

Every dollar brings us one step closer to a world where Alzheimer's is a memory, not a reality. Whether you can give $10 or $1,000, your contribution matters.

Will you join me?