When wine industry tastemaker Kerrin Laz’s mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2014, she knew that she had to do something to help fight this disease. In 2018, Kerrin founded Inspire Napa Valley to raise critical funds and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the Napa Valley, with proceeds directed to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Since its inception Inspire Napa Valley has raised over $7.3 million to support the cause.
“Before my mother's diagnosis, Alzheimer’s seemed like something my grandparents were at risk of getting, not my mother. It has taken me some time to accept the magnitude of creating such a significant event, but I know that now is the time to do this. Thanks to my incredible relationships with wineries and avid wine enthusiasts, wine will be the catalyst to advance awareness and our goal is raise millions for Alzheimer’s and dementia research while supporting individuals who currently live with the disease."
– Kerrin Laz, Founder, Inspire Napa Valley
Inspire Napa Valley HONORARY COMMITTEE
Antonio Galloni, Brad Grimes, Ray Isle, Francoise Peschon, Samantha Rudd
Inspire Napa Valley steering COMMITTEE
Bettina Bryant, Blakesley Chappellet, Scott Gould, Wendi Green, Juan Mercado, Josh Phelps, Shannon Staglin & Elizabeth Vianello
Inspire Napa Valley Impact
“Kerrin Laz and the Napa Valley community continue to raise the bar every single year with Inspire Napa Valley. Their hard work and generosity is personally impacting more than 17,000 people who rely on our Chapter’s local programs and support.”
“Events like Inspire Napa Valley are what allow the Alzheimer’s Association to continue to be the nonprofit with the highest impact in Alzheimer’s research worldwide.”
Inspire Napa Valley helps ensure that the Alzheimer’s Association is able to provide the necessary care and support resources locally in Napa Valley which over the past year have included:
A dozen Education Programs in Napa, Yountville, and St. Helena with over 350 attendees. Topics included “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” “10 Warnings Signs of Alzheimer’s,” “Effective Communication Strategies,” and “Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behavior.”
Monthly St. Helena Caregiver Support Group
Monthly Napa Caregiver Support Group
16,000 information and care consultation contacts in person and through the local Alzheimer’s Association Chapter 24/7 Helpline.
Support for the 335,000 people in the Bay Area impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, including nearly 8,000 people living in Napa County alone.
Inspire Napa Valley is directly supporting the Alzheimer’s Association’s research goal of discovering a way to treat, prevent, and ultimately cure the disease by the following:
Helping the Alzheimer’s Association accelerate global progress in Alzheimer’s Research.
Funding cutting-edge scientists and research through the Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant Program which is currently investing over $165 million in more than 450 projects in 25 countries.
Since awarding their first grants in 1982, the Association has invested over $455 million in nearly 3,000 scientific investigations, funding some of the most instrumental research in Alzheimer’s science.
Guiding principles of the grants program include improving care and support for those living with the disease and furthering our understanding of brain health and prevention.
The Facts
Alzheimer’s disease is the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death and one of the costliest chronic diseases to our society.
It is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
More than 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – 200,000 of which are age 65 or younger.
In 2018, more than 16 million family members and friends provided 18.5 billion hours of unpaid care to people with Alzheimer's and other dementias, at an economic value of over $234 billion. Unless something is done, in 2050, Alzheimer's is projected to cost more than $1.1 trillion.
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s Association was founded in 1980 by a group of family caregivers and individuals interested in research. Jerome H. Stone was our founding president. Today, the Association reaches millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s across the globe through our headquarters in Chicago, a public policy office in Washington, D.C., and a presence in communities across the country.
Since its founding in 1981, the Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter has grown into one of the largest in the Alzheimer’s Association’s 82-chapter network. Eleven offices serve population centers like Silicon Valley and San Francisco, and smaller communities like Napa and Sonoma. Each year the chapter serves thousands of families through direct services like the 24/7 helpline, one-on-one care consultations, and more than 150 support groups. Through an active public policy effort and community outreach, the chapter is instrumental in increasing awareness and research funding for Alzheimer's disease.