Local siblings to chair Alzheimer’s Association gala

Siblings Joe Boone of Shorewood and Ellie Langlas of St. Bonifacius are no strangers to Alzheimer’s and dementia, unfortunately. They lost both their grandmother and mother to the disease, and their grandfather and father both passed due to the stresses of caregiving for their spouses.

That is why Boone and Langlas are committed to doing all that they can to see a world free of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Boone is managing partner at Water Street Partners in Excelsior and Langlas is a multilingual teacher for grades 6-8 at Minnetonka Middle School West.

Langlas and Boone are the 2024 volunteer chairs of the Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND Chapter’s annual Purple Gala taking place on May 18 at the Minneapolis Renaissance Depot Hotel. They are dedicated to making this the most successful gala in the chapter’s history - hoping to raise more than $1 million. Funds raised will support the association’s no-cost programs for those impacted by dementia and its research efforts around the globe.

Already, their efforts are paying off- more than 850 tickets have been sold! They have brought in new sponsors, auction items, and inspired others to get involved. Attendance last year was 550.

Both Langlas and Boone have young children; Ellie has four and Joe has two. They are in this fight to ensure the next generation in their families do not have to face this disease like they did.

In Minnesota, there are 102,000 people living with Alzheimer’s with 164,000 caregivers supporting them. Learn more about the no-charge classes and support groups offered by the Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND Chapter or how to volunteer at alz.org/mnnd .