Erieites Victoria Bayle and Kyle Strayer were part of the PA-16 Congressional Team that won the 2025 Alzheimer’s Congressional Team of the Year Award.

The annual Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM) Advocacy Forum was held in Washington, D.C., an event that is referred to as the "nation's premier Alzheimer's disease advocacy event... where volunteers advocate to federal policymakers to advance policies to improve the lives of all individuals affected by Alzheimer's and all other dementia."

"The top advocacy group in the entire country," Victoria Bayle said.

Bayle, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago, was also the one who gave the acceptance speech on stage, particularly for the way she always remains positive.

"The disease is hard, the diagnosis is hard but it changed me to have an even better quality of life and better outlook on things because I do not want to live in that negativity, I want to stay where I am going to live my best life and love this life I have been given for as long as I can," Bayle said.

The award capped off an inspiring trip to Washington as it was that gave Bayle the opportunity to speak at the forum, meet different people from around the country and advocate in the fight to end Alzheimer's.

"With friendships and meeting new people this was a really big thing this weekend but I am going to be just as happy to be home, enjoy coffee on my front porch tomorrow and plant my garden soon, if it would ever stop raining in Erie, and stuff like that it just makes me really happy," Bayle said.

Bayle also met with Rep. Mike Kelly and both Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick's offices and explained that advocates wear the color purple because the fight to end Alzheimer's is not a red or a blue issue, it is for both parties to fight and one that can truly bring them together.