Maxine Stitzer-Hodge To Be "Dancing Star" at Alzheimer's Association Memory Ball Apr. 18

BALTIMORE – Maxine Stitzer-Hodge has danced her entire life and even participated in the dance troop for the Senior Star Showcase at CCBC Essex. Now she is getting ready to return to the dance floor for a very special engagement.

The Dickeyville resident will be one of 10 performing as a “Dancing Star” at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory Ball, Saturday, Apr. 18, from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

This premier Baltimore event – emceed by ABC2 News Anchor Jamie Costello – features cocktails, dinner and music by local band, Highway Star. The highlight is the dance competition to win the Judge’s Choice Trophy for best dance and the You’re Our Star Trophy based on “votes” tied to donations ($1 per vote online and at the event).

A Professor in the Psychiatry Department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Maxine is excited to find that dance and social causes can come together in a happy marriage such as here at the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Ball.

Inspired by former “Dancing Stars,” Jack and Lucy Henningfield, Maxine eagerly signed on for the competition.

“A chance to dance while raising money for such a worthy cause seems too good to be true,” she said.

Plus, it’s personal for Maxine. “My father had Alzheimer’s and as the disease progressed, it was a classic case including emotional liability and hallucinations,” she explained. “He was a healthy and vigorous man before this and it was sad to see his decline. My mother cared for him at home until he passed at age 89.”

At the Memory Ball, Maxine will perform the Lindy Hop/Jitterbug/Swing to “Bandstand Boogie“ by Barry Manilow.

To vote for Maxine, visit http://act.alz.org/goto/MaxineStitzerHodge. To purchase tickets to the Memory Ball or learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit alz.org/maryland or call 800.272.3900.

Event proceeds will fund supportive services of the Alzheimer’s Association and critical research for a cure. More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease, 97,000 in Maryland and every 67 seconds that number increases by one. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer’s®. Visit www.alz.org or call 800.272.3900.