EDWARD MILLER and his mother Martha Graham
MELROSE – Melrose resident Edward Miller will run the 127th Boston Marathon to raise critical funds and awareness in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. Miller will endure the prestigious 26.2-mile race on April 17 as a member of Team End ALZ on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. He will run in honor of his mother, Diane, who lost her battle with dementia in August 2021.
“My mother lived a full, long life, having five kids, 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. She grew up in the Great Depression and came of age during World War II. She became a ballerina, studying with George Balanchine and Martha Graham, before dancing with the precursor to the American Ballet Theater and other companies. She exhibited resilience in the face of life’s adversities, including the death of two husbands. This resilience was on display in my mother’s later years as she accepted each subsequent stage gracefully,” said Miller.
Miller’s connection to the cause is not only personal, but professional. Miller is an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice and a Faculty Associate at the Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research at Brown University. For more than 30 years, the focus of his scholarship has been long-term services and support, including better supporting older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia and their families.
“It is extremely meaningful to me to honor my mother by running the Boston Marathon on behalf of Team End ALZ in her name to do my small part to ensure that the Alzheimer’s Association has the resources to provide high-quality care and support and critical research that may one day end Alzheimer’s,” said Miller.
In addition to training for the marathon, so far Miller has raised more than $10,000 with the target of raising a total of $12,5000. Funds raised by Team End ALZ runners directly support the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia through the advancement of research and to provide care and support for the more than six million Americans living with the disease, including more than 130,000 in Massachusetts.
The Team End ALZ program began in 2001 when a few dedicated athletes participated in the Boston Marathon on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association. The program has grown over the past 20 years, raising over $8 million since inception. The 2023 Boston Marathon team will continue its tradition of success while celebrating another year of running as a proud partner of the John Hancock Non-Profit Program.
To learn more about Miller’s story, or to donate to his Boston Marathon fundraiser, visit here: https://www.givengain.com/ap/edward-miller-raising-funds-for-alzheimers-association-ma-nh-chapter/#timeline.
