By Josephine Cioffero
Change starts with a spark. For the chair of this year’s Purple Soirée, that spark was her husband’s family and their battle with dementia.
When Connie Kulp met her husband, Rob, his grandmother was already far along into her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Kulp saw how her father-in-law, Chuck, did everything he could to care for his mother, like moving in next door and setting up an alarm system in her house in case she tried to get out.
Watching his mother’s condition develop created diligence in Chuck to get tested when he noticed issues of his own. Despite being told his symptoms were just part of aging, he pushed for a neurologist’s referral – and the result was frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Ten years into Chuck’s diagnosis, Kulp has watched him progress, and she’s helped her mother-in-law, Dianne, transition into the role of his caretaker. She’s teaching her how to pay bills and do everything Chuck did to care for her throughout their marriage.
“I got involved because of him and his diagnosis,” Kulp said. “The toll I see it taking on her has furthered my drive.”
Kulp first attended the Purple Soirée four years ago and was immediately inspired to get involved and make her own mark on the event. She’s held many roles over the years, including committee chair and the auction chair, but her role this year as the chair of the Purple Soirée combines her passion and sense of responsibility for fighting this disease into a night of celebration.
To Kulp, however, celebrating the progress that’s been made and the hope we bring to this fight is only part of the process in electrifying change.
“Knowing that everybody there is making that difference to get us that much closer, that we can celebrate,” she said. “But reality is, we can’t let up. We’re stepping on the gas pedal, and we need to keep going.”
Beyond her leadership in the Purple Soirée, Kulp is also an Alzheimer’s Association board member, advocate and fundraiser. Every role she takes on, all the time she dedicates to the cause, is in pursuit of a future where her family, friends and community won’t have to worry about dementia.
“It’s all seamless because it’s all for one common goal,” Kulp said. “If there’s something I can be a part of or do that might bring in more money or make a difference, I’m going to do that. That’s how I’ve gotten in as deep as I have.”
Kulp’s lived in Florida for 36 years, but her passion in fighting this disease extends like a beacon back to her home state of Washington. When someone from her high school has a loved one who’s diagnosed with dementia, they immediately reach out to her. She refers them to resources and gives them a place to start, even when it feels like the world they know is about to end.
“I love when people think of me now, they also think of Alzheimer’s,” Kulp said. “There’s no reason to be quiet about this. The louder we are, the more aware people become, the more of a difference we can make.”
She continued, “The more I learn, the more I want to do and be involved to make a difference,” Kulp said. “It may not help my father-in-law and mother-in-law at this point, but I think about my husband and children. I just love trying to be part of making a difference.”
Join us in electrifying change for Alzheimer’s and all other dementia on April 11 at the 2026 Purple Soirée in Orlando. For information on tickets, sponsorships, the auction and more, visit alzpurplesoiree.org.
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