Every year on September 21, World Alzheimer's Day is celebrated. The story began in 1984 in Washington, DC, where a group of Alzheimer's disease experts presented a single dream and vision: "A better life for people with dementia and their families." In the 25 years since, the vision has not changed, nor has the passion wavered, as the number of members of the Alzheimer's Association has doubled from four members to more than 75 international Alzheimer's associations. Alzheimer's International believes that the key to winning the battle against dementia lies in a unique combination of global solutions and local knowledge. It works locally, empowering national associations to strengthen their roles in providing care and support to Alzheimer's patients and their families. At the global level, attention has focused on this epidemic and a campaign to change policies has been launched by governments and the World Health Organization. Around 35 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which is being celebrated on World Alzheimer's Day today. This number is expected to rise to 115 million by 2050, according to estimates from the German Alzheimer's Association. There are around 1.2 million Germans suffering from some form of dementia. Since 1994, Alzheimer's organizations have been organizing activities on September 21st every year to draw attention to this widespread disease and to its sufferers, who are a burden on their families and on health systems in various countries. The slogan for World Alzheimer's Day 2011 is Faces of Dementia This article is a personal translation of part of the World Alzheimer's Day overview found in the first reference