Alzheimer's Club

"The fraternity brothers of the Northwest Missouri State University and Missouri Western State University Chapters of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity are going to have a warmer run and an earlier start this year, when they will team up once again to hold their seventh annual "Running Past the Rivalry" Football Run to raise money for the Reagan Research Institute for Alzheimer's disease.

The run began six years ago as a brainstorm between the two Chapters to increase the contribution they could make to the recognized philanthropy of TKE. In 2001, the international fraternity adopted the Alzheimer's Association as its newest philanthropy to commemorate and honor former U.S. President and key alumni of TKE Ronald Reagan, who announced his affliction with the disease in November 1994 and passed away from complications with Alzheimer's on June 4, 2004.

Alzheimer's disease is a heart-wrenching disease that affects an entire family. Over four million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and it is estimated that 14 million Americans will have the disease by the middle of this century unless either a cure or better methods of prevention are found.

The Reagan Research Institute for Alzheimer's disease was developed by Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity in 2002 with the fraternity pledging to raise $240,000 to aid Alzheimer's research. TKE Chapters across the country raise money to this end. The Reagan Research Institute is a portfolio of funded projects within the Alzheimer's Association Grant Program that serves as a paradigm for one key principle of the entire research effort - a commitment to innovate basic science by exploring the broadest possible spectrum of approaches in developing Alzheimer's treatments.

On September 17, prior to the game, members of the Northwest Missouri State University Chapter of TKE will be running the football 43 miels from Rickenbrode Stadium on the Northwest Missouri State University campus to Spratt Stadium on the Missouri Western State University campus. Both chapters will then present the game ball to game officials and announce their total amount raised, giving credit to generous donors to the event.

Combined together, the two chapters have a goal of raising $2,000 this year for Alzheimer's. They hope to reach half of that goal with Football Run donations alone.

In the past, TKE has raised thousands of dollars for both the Special Olympics and the Alzheimer's Association through these efforts.

For more information, or to make a contribution, contact Jordan Lenger, President of the Northwest Missouri TKE Chapter at (660) 541-1438 or s255771@mail.nwmissouri.edu, Jeremy Funk, President of the Missouri Western TKE Chapter at (816) 294-9640 or funkster31@yahoo.com, or TKE Football Run Coordinator Fred Cline at (660) 535-4458 or fac2706@missouriwestern.edu."

Source: Northwest, Mo. West fraternities to hold 'Running Past the Rivalry' Football Run. Maryville Daily Forum - Maryville,MO,USA (last viewed 24 August 2005) [FullText]