Whereas, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior, and eventually leads to incapacitation and death; and,

Whereas, An estimated 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, including at least 200,000 individuals younger than 65 with early-onset Alzheimer's; and,

Whereas, Every 72 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease; and,

Whereas, There are over 200,000 people in Michigan with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, and this number will grow dramatically over the next two decades if no cure is found; and,

Whereas, Alzheimer's disease is the third most expensive disease in the country, with the average lifetime cost around $174,000 per person, and the costs to American business is more than $61 billion annually in lost productivity and through the business share of health costs; and,

Whereas, Alzheimer's disease is now the seventh leading cause of death for people of all ages and the fifth leading cause of death in people age 65 and older; and,

Whereas, New research and technologies have allowed us to make significant progress in learning more about the disease and treatments for symptoms, with 90 percent of what is known about Alzheimer's disease having been learned in the last 15 years; and,

Whereas, The Michigan Dementia Coalition, with support from the Michigan Department of Community Health, has developed a strategic plan to reduce the burden of dementia in Michigan; and,

Whereas, Members of the Alzheimer's Association chapters in Michigan are not-for- profit, voluntary health organizations, working throughout the state to improve life for those living with the disease and their families, and to support research efforts to find a cure for future generations; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 2007 as Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in Michigan.