Ice Out Alz Eclipses $1 Million Fundraising Mark Since Its Inception Five Years Ago

Nantucket native, Olympic gold medalist and ESPN NHL broadcaster AJ Mleczko Griswold hosted the fifth annual Ice Out ALZ event at Cisco Brewers August 7^th and the funds raised helped the fundraiser surpass the $1 million mark since it began five years ago.

All funds are given to and support the Alzheimer’s Association care, support and research programs while increasing awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Mleczko set up the fundraiser to honor her Mom, Bambi, who is battling the disease and has since lost her ability to speak and recognize family members.

“For my family and the millions of others facing Alzheimer’s, we are truly making a difference in changing the course of this devastating disease,” Mleczko said. “I’m forever grateful to everyone who’s showed up to support us and our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.”

Mleczko greeted guests with heartfelt opening remarks sharing her personal reasons for joining the Alzheimer’s Association in the fight to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. She also sent an email out to supporters thanking them for support while updating them on all of the advancements made in Alzheimer’s research.

“As I shared during the event last week, this is an incredibly important and exciting time in Alzheimer's and dementia research,” Mleczko said. “In addition to the Association's landmark lifestyle intervention trial (U.S. POINTER) which showed lifestyle changes can protect against cognitive decline, there has been important progress on clinical practice guidelines for blood biomarker tests in Alzheimer's diagnosis as well as new data showing the effectiveness of the recently available anti-amyloid Alzheimer's disease treatment drugs. On top of that, the Association continues to provide support to our Nantucket community through resources like the 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900) as well as the recently introduced My ALZ Journey which is a free mobile app designed for newly diagnosed, early-stage individuals with dementia and their care partners.”

The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's is growing — and growing fast. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2025 Facts and Figures report, over seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and almost 12 million family members and friends are caregivers. In Massachusetts alone, more than 135,000 people are living with the disease and more than 218,000 caregivers are providing care and support.

At the event, guests competed in a cornhole tournament while enjoying beverages served by Cisco Brewers and small bites from local caterer Island Kitchen. Mleczko was joined by her close friend and former NHL defenseman Hal Gill at the event.