AAQI Awards $30,000 to Cornell University

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) has awarded its ninth grant to Dr. Chris B. Schaffer, Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. The $30,000 grant is the second grant the charity has awarded for Alzheimer’s research at Cornell University.

Dr. Schaffer explains his work:

“In the conventional view of Alzheimer’s disease it is thought that neurons in the brain are damaged by the accumulation of a small protein called amyloid-beta, but recent work shows that the blood vessels in the brain are also affected by amyloid-beta.

In addition, Alzheimer patients have less blood flow in their brains than people without the disease. It is possible that the vascular effects of amyloid-beta and this blood flow decrease could contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and add to the impact of the direct neuronal damage by amyloid-beta.

Our work suggests that the blood flow decrease may be caused by white blood cells that block small blood vessels in the brain. Normally, white blood cells become activated, stick to the wall of blood vessels, then exit the vasculature and tissue in response to an infection or injury. However, in Alzheimer’s disease such activation may be detrimental because it could slow blood flow and deprive brain cells of oxygen and nutrients.

In addition, the decreased blood flow may trigger the accumulation of more amyloid-beta, producing a vicious cycle of injury to the brain.In this work, we will test potential therapies that prevent the white blood cells from plugging blood vessels.

We expect to see an increase in blood flow and hope to see a decrease in amyloid-beta accumulation. This work relies on new imaging techniques that enable us to track changes in amyloid-beta and blood flow with micrometer resolution in mice that are engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

If successful, this therapy could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in patients.”

Learn more about research that has been funded by the AAQI here:
http://www.alzquilts.org/researchawards.html

Michele Bilyeu of With Heart and Hands quilts for AAQI and runs the AAQI Liberated Challenge..won't you join in all of our fun...donate or buy a quilt, today!To see all of our quilts to date, check out our AAQI webpage at http://www.alzquilts.org/liqublliqume.html

AAQI: Heading for Houston

Every week I check the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiatives Holding For Houston page and I am amazed at just how many of our own Liberated Quilters Challenge quilts are being included in this group.

Basically, they are pulled from either the AAQI Quilts For Sale page or their Quilts Waiting for Assignment page and are ones that have 1) never been to Houston before and 2) are numbers 6000 and up.

By visually scanning the page..and remember they are trying to bring (and therefore list) 1,500 quilts and I can't always spot 'our' quilts when we have lots of members and I have to visually recognize them as ones I have listed before and not just remember, noticed, or liked that belong to someone else ;) So, if I have left you off, let me know. I am not including 'counts' because I want the person who has one quilt to feel just as happy and proud as one who might have sent a dozen! We are all so appreciated!!! And doing this is all so very hard for those of us who also volunteer with the lists and databases.

I visually counted the quilts on the holding page ...so far ...and got 499. And yes, they have reached their 1,500 goal so we may all have way more quilts going then I have counted and way more names that I have to add each time I can recognize quilts. Very few of you ever write me and let me know you registered or mailed a quilt and my detective brain is showing a lot of strain with my life challenges...so, I can only do my best in counting ;)

But my list so far shows me that the following lib quilters have quilts going to Houston this year...at least so far!

And I have counted that there are a total...believe it or not...of way over 50 of our quilts from this Liberated Quilters Challenge heading for Houston...and again, at least so far!!!

Michele Bilyeu
Sue Brown
Kathleen Connors
Wendy Koenig
Michele Lancaster
Lynn Makrin
Rene' Martinez
Sue Matlock
Laura Randolph
Julie Sefton
Lynda Sharp
Kristin Shields
Debra Spinic
Jan Stone
Molly and Nancie Voegele
Victoria Findley Wolfe

Quilts from each of those listed might be one or it might be over 10. It depends on how many you sent in and when and whether they wanted to use them for this or save them for a later purpose.

1500 Quilts To Houston - YouTube

Some of our quilts are in a Youtube video...see if you can find one of yours!

This is a huge, huge job and my hats go off not only to all of you quilt makers but to the amazing and wonderful AAQI volunteers who organize this and do all of the hard work every year!!!

The AAQI has just awarded a $30,000 grant to Cornell University to study Alzheimer's disease: http://www.alzquilts.org/cornell9.html

November 1-10 (overlapping with Quilt Festival) is the Stanley Cup Quilt-Off. Twelve extraordinary quilts will be on the auction block at

http://www.benefitbidding.com/listings/categories/index.cfm?category=965774286 starting November 1st.

Take a sneak peek at the quilts here: http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltauction.html

Michele Bilyeu of With Heart and Hands quilts for AAQI and runs the AAQI Liberated Challenge..won't you join in all of our fun...donate or buy a quilt, today!To see all of our quilts to date, check out our AAQI webpage at http://www.alzquilts.org/liqublliqume.html

AAQI and the $805 Quilt

Linda Woodard of Marion, Illinois, raised $805 for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) with her donated 8.75 inches by 10 inches quilt which sold during the charity's October auction. The AAQI holds online auctions during the first ten days of every month. Woodard's quilt, Making Waves in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s, sets a new AAQI record for Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt sales, surpassing Sue Nickels' quilt, This Bud's For You, which sold for $350 in 2006.

"I am in shock—a good shock. How exciting!" said Woodard after the auction closed." She continued, "I loved making the quilt and grew very attached to it. I know the person who purchased it will love it too. I am so pleased that my quilt raised so much for Alzheimer's research."

Woodard's quilt was created as part of a challenge issued by the Shawnee Quilters of Southern Illinois. The group has supported the AAQI for several years through the AAQI's Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts project. More than 8,500 quilts (none larger than 9" x 12") have been donated by quilt guilds and individual quilters since 2006 as quilters make finding a cure for Alzheimer's a priority in their lives.

The AAQI's November auction (November 1-10) in honor of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month features quilts by Alex Anderson, Hollis Chatelain, John Flynn, Becky Goldsmith, Renae Haddadin, Sue Nickels, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Pat Holly, Libby Lehman, Judy Mathieson, Mary Sorensen, and Ricky Tims as they compete in the "Stanley Cup Quilt-Off."

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (www.alzquilts.org) is a national, grassroots charity whose mission is to raise awareness and fund research. It auctions and sells donated quilts through the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project and sponsors a touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's called "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope." The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has raised more than $591,000 since January 2006.

Thanks so much for your helps,

Ami :)

Quilter, Teacher, Author, Blogger
Founder & Executive Director, Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative
More than $591,000 raised for Alzheimer's research since January 2006. Help us make a difference...one quilt at a time.

Michele Bilyeu of With Heart and Hands quilts for AAQI and runs the AAQI Liberated Challenge..won't you join in all of our fun...donate or buy a quilt, today!To see all of our quilts to date, check out our AAQI webpage at http://www.alzquilts.org/liqublliqume.html

AAQI Receives 8,000th Donated Quilt

AAQI Receives 8,000th Donated Quilt

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) has received its 8,000th donated quilt. Intermingled made by Audrey Arno of Tuttle, Oklahoma is part of the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt project.

The 8.5-inch by 11.5-inch quilt features a variety of colorful fabrics arranged in a tangle of rings and dots on a black background. It is part of the AAQI’s October online auction.

“I was quite surprised at one of my quilts hitting a magic number,” said Arno. AAQI supporters were not. Arno, has donated 316 quilts to date, more than any other quilter so far. More remarkable still, her quilts have raised nearly $18,000 for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.

“I am so honored to have made quilt number 8,000 for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative,” said Arno. “This charitable organization is growing so fast with so many more quilters participating as the word spreads, resulting in more and more grants for research. I intend to keep on quilting for a cure for as long as I am able.”

Arno isn’t alone in her passion to stitch towards a cure. She is one of 130 people to make the $1,000 Promise, a program in which participants pledge to donate as many quilts as it will take to raise $1,000 for the AAQI. This project is an extension of the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts project, named for making quilts that fund research a priority, and because quilts purchased at auction or from the charity’s web page are shipped in USPS priority mail envelopes. The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative has raised more than $591,000 since January 2006. Sixty percent of those funds came from the sale of Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts.

To make a Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt, go to Make a Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt.

To see the list of people making the $1,000 Promise or to join them, go to www.alzquilts.org/1000.html .

And here’s that online auction link again: http://www.benefitbidding.com/listings/categories/index.cfm?category=965774286

The auction ends on October 10th. Please bid generously as all profits fund Alzheimer’s research.

Michele Bilyeu of With Heart and Hands quilts for AAQI and runs the AAQI Liberated Challenge..won't you join in all of our fun...donate or buy a quilt, today!To see all of our quilts to date, check out our AAQI webpage at http://www.alzquilts.org/liqublliqume.html

AAQI Auction Has Begun: Look at the Quilts!!

The AAQI October Auction runs from Oct 1 through Oct 10th until 10:00 pm

Click Here: to view, enlarge, or place a bid on one of these gorgeous quilts!

AAQI AUCTION Quilts

[Image View] [ List View] These are bit the updated bids..but just from when I snapped them.click link to refresh, above.

Quilt # 6289 - Sugar Mountain Opening Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #6972 – The Potting Shed Leading Bid $ 100.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7036 – The Lone Sentinel Leading Bid $ 60.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7099 – Bear Trails Leading Bid $ 45.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7430 – August Flowers Leading Bid $ 60.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7636 – Learning to Sew Leading Bid $ 130.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7663 – Meadow Bouquet Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7773 – Backyard Beauty Leading Bid $ 125.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7777 – Darling Dahlia Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7789 - Coming Up For Air Leading Bid $ 55.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7796 - SKSN Leading Bid $ 55.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7797 – Do Not Retire Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7810 – Palm Beach Leading Bid $ 55.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7811 – Mama’s Flowers Leading Bid $ 85.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7827 – The Tailor Leading Bid $ 85.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7830 – Road Trip Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7832 – Out of the Box Leading Bid $ 50.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7845 – Summer Vacation Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7860 – Three Squares Opening Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7867 – Dragonfly Jungle Leading Bid $ 115.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7885 – Fat Cat’s Magnolia Leading Bid $ 40.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #7894 – Making Waves in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Leading Bid $ 101.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7897 – No Circles? Leading Bid $ 65.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #7909 – I Miss Us Leading Bid $ 50.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m
Quilt #8000 – Intermingled Leading Bid $ 90.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m		Quilt #I-0391 - Squaring Off Against Alzheimer's Disease Leading Bid $ 65.00 Time Left 2d, 13h, 22m

[Current] [New Today] [Ending Today] [Completed] [Going Soon] [Starting Soon]