DES MOINES, Iowa—Taco John’s stores in Iowa held their annual Forget-Me-Not campaign during the month of September to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is the 2nd year Taco John’s has supported the Alzheimer’s Association by selling $1 Forget-Me-Nots to their customers and donating 100% of the proceeds, and this year they raised a record amount of $31,270.
“We cannot express our gratitude enough to Taco John’s and their customers for supporting the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s and our mission to end Alzheimer’s and all dementia,” says Doug Bickford, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter. “The proceeds from this campaign will make a large impact across our state to support Alzheimer’s care, support and research.”
Twenty-two central Iowa Taco John’s restaurants, including those in and around the Des Moines metro area as well as Ames, Boone, Creston, Grinnell, Pella, Oskaloosa, and Ottumwa, participated in the Forget-Me-Not campaign.
“It was an honor to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association again this year. We are humbled by the generosity of our guests and are so grateful for their contributions. We are also proud of our team members and their efforts with this campaign,” says Jeff Brands, CEO of Taco John’s of Iowa.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s happened in 18 communities across Iowa, and though this year’s Walk looked a little different, teams are still encouraged to raise money and walk individually or in small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails in their community through the end of the year. Visit alz.org/walk to register for your local Walk.
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Iowa alone, there are more than 66,000 people living with the disease and 136,000 caregivers.
(contributed press release)
