By Isabell Ortega
Hollywood came to City Hall yesterday to spotlight Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
That was after City Councilmember Nithya Raman (D—Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks, Encino, parts of Studio City, Van Nuys, Reseda) gave a proclamation to Seth Rogen and his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, Co-Founders of ‘Hilarity for Charity’.
The non-profit’s mission is to care for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and to activate the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates. Hilarity for Charity provides education on brain health, programs for affected families, and financial support for unpaid caregivers. It has raised $28 million to support family caregivers, Brain Health Education, and Prevention Research. Two million people interact with the nonprofit yearly via social media, program grants, and events.
“This is an issue that is close to my heart and close to our office’s heart because of many personal impacts. And as our population ages, these ripple effects are about to be felt much further,” said Raman, noting there are an estimated 7.2 million people in this country with Alzheimer’s, including 200,000 in Los Angeles County.
“It is estimated that over the next seven years, nearly 900,00 additional direct care workers will be needed to care for the growing population of people with dementia, the largest worker gap of any single occupation in the U.S,” she said.
The Rogens said they started Hilarity for Clarity over a decade ago in response to something personal and painful and watching a loved one experience Alzheimer’s far too young.
“Since then, we’ve been driven to make brain health a public priority and support families navigating this incredibly devastating illness,” said Seth Rogen.
City Council Member Imelda Padilla (D-Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hollywood, North Hills, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Sun Valley) recalled growing up in Mexico with a great aunt who had Alzheimer’s.
“There was a whole lifestyle related to making sure she would be okay in the small town, and it really trains my family. But now here at home, this new generation, like my mom and aunts and uncles, are dealing with this, and me and my cousins find ourselves in a role where we have to rethink and strategize now in a major city,” recalled Padilla.
“I have never really been a big fan of celebrity involvement in policy and politics. But for this one, I really appreciate it. Thank you both for what you do,” she said.
