The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sandy Reilly of Sisters raised $1,800 for the Rotary's Ride for Alzheimer's earlier this month. According to Tate Metcalf of Sisters Athletic Club (SAC), Reilly organized approximately 14 donor/riders for a two-hour spin ride at SAC for the fundraiser.

"He loves to ride and he's very passionate about (combatting) Alzheimer's," Metcalf said.

Sisters Rotary has been engaged in raising awareness of Alzheimer's

disease. They held a series of talks in July on the subject.

The statistical impact of Alzheimer's and dementia is staggering.

• About one in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's.

• Almost two-thirds of those are women.

• Overall, an estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in 2023.

• One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer

combined.

• Deaths from Alzheimer's have more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, while those from heart disease - the leading cause of death - have decreased.