Local Advocate Wins National Award
Cathy Perkowitz of Wheaton received the Advocate of the Year Award while attending the Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C. last week. After her husband Bill was diagnosed at age 52, Cathy began advocating with the Association to increase awareness, make investments in care and support and fight for public policies and federal appropriations. This award is given once annually and is chosen from over 500,0000 advocates throughout the country.
Cathy Perkowitz, an Advocate for the Greater Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, received the Advocate of the Year Award at the Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C. on March 24. This award is given once annually and is chosen from over 500,0000 advocates throughout the country.
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), who presented the Alzheimer’s Association Outstanding Advocate of the Year Award, spoke about meeting Cathy Perkowitz and her husband, Bill, who was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s in 2006 at the age of 52. The couple kept up their friendship after Roskam was elected to Congress, and Perkowitz invited him to visit Bill at the care facility where he resides.
“Because of her invitation to see Bill, I was able to learn more, and the more I learned, the more I realized I needed to learn more,” Roskam said. “There’s a great temptation to take loss and be buried by it and defined by it and paralyzed by it. Cathy decided to do a different thing — she decided to redeem her loss.”
“This is such a great honor,” Perkowitz said. Her accomplishments include serving as an Alzheimer’s Association Ambassador, leading a top fundraising team at her local Walk to End Alzheimer’s® and participating in younger-onset caregiver support groups. “With my story and all our stories, we’ve been able to make a difference. The Forum provides so much energy to those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. There are many lonely moments dealing with this disease, but I’ve learned a lot on this journey.”
She also thanked her children, who were in the audience. “I want you to know how proud I am of Bill’s children: Nicole, Grace and Matthew,” she said. “They’re all success stories and they’re all part of Bill. I’m so proud that his children are here tonight to honor their father, who loved them more than anything.”
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