LANSING—State Senator Deb Cherry (D-Burton) was presented with the 2007 Alzheimer’s Association All-Star Advocate Award and acknowledged for her tireless efforts to maintain funding for Alzheimer's programs and services in the Healthy MI Fund. The award was presented by Alzheimer’s Association volunteer Cindy Beller at a ceremony in Senator Cherry’s Lansing office.

“This is truly an honor, but my efforts on behalf of those with Alzheimer’s certainly aren’t for the accolades,” Sen. Cherry. “It is with the utmost compassion and consideration that I have and will continue to be an advocate here in Lansing for those with Alzheimer’s and the people who care for them. I appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association and volunteers like Cindy to do their part.”

Cindy Beller is a caregiver for her husband of 34 years, Don, who was stricken with memory loss in the prime of his legal career. Don began showing signs of memory loss in 1999 at 50 years old, and was diagnosed in 2001. At the awards ceremony, Senator Cherry also presented Cindy with a gold star keychain that matches the star on Senator Cherry's award. The Alzheimer’s Association cited Cindy for being a “rising star” in the field of advocacy on behalf of Michigan Alzheimer’s patients.

“It has definitely been a challenge helping usher Don through this disease, but I will do any and everything I can for him,” Cindy Beller said. “It’s reassuring to know that we’re not alone in this fight, and that Senator Cherry and the Alzheimer’s Association are doing everything they can to help people going through the same thing Don and I are.”

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Elected to the Senate in 2002 and 2006, Senator Cherry is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, serving as Minority Vice Chair on the Subcommittees for Community Health and Retirement. She is also a member of the Subcommittee on Capital Outlay.