Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway) is auctioning off her uniform (starting May 5) to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Association in their online auction "Rally for Research."

Other items on the auction block include dinner with legendary football coach Mike Ditka, a backstage meeting with country musician Tracy Lawrence, and a chance to tour the set of Alias and meet actor Victor Garber. People from around the world will have a unique opportunity to help raise funds for Alzheimer's research by participating in the auction from May 2 – 12 at www.ebay.com/rally-for-research.

"Rally for Research" is an extension of the Association's annual fundraising galas in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York, which raise more than $3 million annually for Alzheimer's research. The online auction is designed to take the message and mission of the Alzheimer's Association to a broader audience and engage them in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Mulgrew is among the celebrities who have contributed unique packages to the online auction. She has donated her entire black wool and gabardine Voyager uniform to the auction, including her boots.

Mulgrew is all too familiar with Alzheimer's — her mother, Joan, suffers from the disease. "I have learned first-hand the debilitating effects Alzheimer's has on its victims and their families," said Mulgrew, who is a member of the Alzheimer's Association National Advisory Council. "Making my Captain Janeway uniform part of the 'Rally for Research' will help to raise money for research and create a world without Alzheimer's."

In addition to Mulgrew's Captain Janeway uniform, other leading entertainment and sports celebrities have generously donated items, as well as their time. Auction packages include:

* The opportunity to meet actor Victor Garber, who plays CIA agent Jack Bristow on the ABC show, Alias. The winning bidder also will receive a guided tour of the Alias set as well as a script signed by the cast;

* Dinner for four with legendary Chicago Bears football coach Mike Ditka as well as an autographed football;

* Two VIP tickets for a Tracy Lawrence concert and a chance to go backstage to meet the country music star, and

* A once-in-a-lifetime private train trip from Minneapolis to Chicago. Cruising through the night in style once only known by the likes of the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, the winning bidder will receive dinner for eight served by white-gloved waiters and expert chefs. Each of the train's cars features rich, wood-grain walls, and authentic railroad china and silverware.

There are currently 4.5 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As baby boomers age, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease could increase to 7.7 million by 2030. One in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half over 85 are affected and the cost to American business is $61 billion a year.

Without a continued commitment to research, the costs of treating people with Alzheimer's disease will bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid and have a severe impact on our economy and families. Medicare costs for beneficiaries with Alzheimer's are expected to increase 75 percent to $160 billion, and Medicaid expenditures on residential dementia care will increase 14 percent to $24 billion, by 2010.