First specialty plate in the nation supporting Alzheimer's coming to Illinois

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[December 17, 2016]  Illinois is the first state in the nation to have a specialty license plate supporting the Alzheimer’s Association®. The Illinois Secretary of State has received the required 1,500 reservations, which means they can now begin the production process for the Alzheimer’s Association® specialty license plate.

More than 220,000 Illinois residents are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. This new Alzheimer’s Association specialty license plate will help raise dementia awareness. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015 health survey, nearly 10% of Illinois residents 45 and older report they are experiencing confusion or memory loss that is happening more often or is getting worse.

The license plate was authorized by legislation in Springfield. The plate was ultimately successful because of the help of state Senator Martin Sandoval, (D-Cicero), state Representative Bill Mitchell,(R-Forsyth), and state Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, (D-Shorewood).

“The Alzheimer’s Association is grateful for the hard work and dedication Senator Sandoval, Representative Mitchell, and Senator Bertino-Tarrant conducted on behalf of Illinois families looking for Alzheimer’s care and support services,” said Jen Belkov, Illinois State Policy Lead for the Alzheimer’s Association, “With Alzheimer’s disease on the rise in Illinois, these license plates will provide much needed awareness of Alzheimer’s and the resources available for them.”

The new Alzheimer’s Association license plate will also help the Association strengthen their care and support efforts for residents and families facing Alzheimer’s disease. 92% of the funds generated by the license plate renewal fees are given to the Alzheimer’s Association to help fund services like the 24/7 Helpline.

In the coming months, the Alzheimer’s Association will be working with the Secretary of State to finalize the license plate’s design. The state police will then conduct an internal review to make sure the design is safe and approved for use on Illinois roads. Once that process is complete, registrants will receive a license plate transfer application directly from the Secretary of State.

Throughout the process, the Alzheimer’s Association plans to update their website as news comes in from the Secretary of State. To see the most current information, please visit: act.alz.org/illinois

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Following is the response of state Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, (D-Shorewood),:

“With thousands of people throughout Illinois living with Alzheimer’s, it’s critically important to increase awareness of the disease and fund care programs,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “I’m proud to have partners with the Alzheimer’s Association to make a license plate available that will help support dementia patients and their families.”
Representative Bill Mitchell, (R-Forsyth),:

“Alzheimer’s Disease is an especially cruel disease that tales away the precious memories of loved ones. Alzheimer’s Awareness plates will help fund programs to combat this terrible disease. I was honored to sponsor the law creating these plates on behalf of the thousands of Illinoisans affected by Alzheimer’s and I am very pleased to see this goal achieved,” said State Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth).

About the Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

[Alzheimer's Association]

 

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