Effort to Increase Alzheimer’s Research at The Pat Summitt Clinic at UT Medical Center

Vol fans can go ALL IN to boost Alzheimer’s research at The Pat Summitt Clinic at The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Tennessee Athletics and the Vol Network are joining forces with the medical center and asking fans to join them in ALL IN, a program where everyone with the Volunteer spirit can help tackle major diseases that impact Tennesseans.

The inaugural effort is ALL IN Against Alzheimer’s and will benefit the Alzheimer’s Research Initiative, a fundraising endeavor to increase research capabilities by the medical center’s team at The Pat Summitt Clinic. Fans can pick up an official ALL IN shaker for just $5 at several retailers throughout the state of Tennessee, including: Pilot, Food City, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Kubota, Kroger, Long’s Drug Store, Orange Mountain Designs, Alumni Hall, HoundDogs, the gift shop at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, the Vol Shop (and Tennessee Team Shops inside Neyland Stadium), and VolWallArt.com.

Every shaker purchase includes a free 20-ounce fountain drink at any home football game this season at Neyland Stadium. ALL IN Against Alzheimer’s culminates at the home game against Alabama game on Saturday, Oct. 20, with the goal of every fan having a shaker and joining together to shake down Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our Tennessee family has been impacted by Alzheimer’s,” said Phillip Fulmer, University of Tennessee Director of Athletics. “And my family also has suffered the heartache of this dreadful disease and the toll it takes on all immediate family members as well as their caregivers. It’s past time to act. I’m pleased that our entire Tennessee family is going ‘All In’ to support the fight against Alzheimer’s.

“The Pat Summitt Clinic holds a special place in our hearts, and we want to support the great research currently taking place there. We appreciate the partnership with our friends at UT Medical Center and the Vol Network in creating a first-of-its-kind campaign to help raise needed research funds and awareness.”

Whether fans are at the games or not, they can show that they’re ALL IN and help advance research for Alzheimer’s disease by sharing photos with their shakers and using #VOLSALLIN during UT home games. Visit www.utmedicalcenter.org/alz for more information about ALL IN and to view the growing list of locations to buy the shakers.

“I’m continually amazed by Tennessee fans and how they embrace the Volunteer spirit by coming together to help others,” said Joe Landsman, President and CEO of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “It will be exciting to see fans at the game and across the state standing up as one against this terrible disease and in support of Alzheimer’s research at The Pat Summitt Clinic. Support of ALL IN is critical to the advancement of early diagnosis, treatment, and hopefully one day, a cure for Alzheimer’s. Hope for this disease lies in the research.”

The clinic is named for the late Pat Summitt, the legendary basketball coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team who led her players to eight national championships. Summitt’s public announcement of her battle with Alzheimer’s led to significant awareness of the disease and a national discussion about the need for advancing care and research. The medical center opened the clinic in 2017, with the support of The Pat Summitt Foundation, to fulfill Summitt’s vision to have a place in East Tennessee where patients, families, caregivers, and leading medical experts would work collaboratively to improve care and support, educate future physicians and clinicians, and conduct ground-breaking research.

The number of Alzheimer’s cases in the nation is expected to more than triple, from 5 million to more than 16 million, by the year 2050. The fundraising initiative will provide for significant expansion of the multi-disciplinary Alzheimer’s research being conducted at the facility. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Research Initiative, contact The University of Tennessee Medical Center Development Office at (865) 305-6611 or via email at [email protected].

-UT Athletics