Bipartisan Star-Studded Gala

Written by guest contributor Jeannette O'Connor

Close to 500 guests gathered for a moving and inspirational night supporting UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. Held in the Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the 4th annual Out of the Shadows Dinner featured celebrities, Congressional leaders, members of the Administration, well-known Washington philanthropists, corporate sponsors, individual supporters, researchers, and other leaders in the fight to stop Alzheimer’s. This year’s event raised more than $1 million.

The dinner, hosted by WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, was part of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s 2017 National Alzheimer’s Summit, and was renamed the Trish Vradenburg Out of the Shadows Dinner in memory of Trish Vradenburg, the powerful co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, who changed the course of the fight against Alzheimer’s through her relentless advocacy and humor. Before becoming involved in the Alzheimer’s fight, Trish was a sitcom writer for hit shows such as Kate & Allie, Family Ties and Designing Women. She and her husband George Vradenburg, former General Counsel for AOL, CBS and Fox, founded UsAgainstAlzheimer’s after losing Trish’s mom, Bea Lerner, to the disease.