Each fall since 2022, beloved Hallmark actresses and longtime friends Nikki DeLoach and Ashley Williams have headlined the annual Dance Party to End ALZ, taking over hosting duties from Williams’ sister, fellow actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who founded the Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser in 2017.
Since its creation, the event has raised over $1.8 million to help fund research grants for an unforgiving disease that caused the cognitive decline and eventual deaths of the Williams sisters’ mom in 2016 and DeLoach’s dad in 2021. But on June 27, 2025, DeLoach and Williams announced during an emotional Instagram Live session with fans that they’ve made the difficult decision to skip the event in 2025.
Dance Party to End ALZ Will Return in 2026, Ashley Williams & Nikki DeLoach Say
During their Instagram Live session, DeLoach and Williams reminisced about befriending each other in a Los Angeles acting class two decades ago and how much closer they became while navigating the pain of their parents’ diagnoses and deaths.
But the Dance to End ALZ is about infusing joy and hope into the work of raising money and awareness, from live music to everyone dressing in costumes. In their Instagram Live on June 27, Williams said the event has become “one of my greatest joys and triumphs, and by the way, the most fun ever of my whole life.”
However, things have shifted so much in 2025 that neither she nor DeLoach feel right about planning another party right now. From the wildfires that swept through L.A. in January to Hollywood’s economic crisis, Williams said, “As many of you know, Los Angeles is in an incredible time of need. I’ve never seen it higher.”
Williams pointed to “limited resources” and said she and DeLoach feel it’s best to focus their energy on continuing to help their communities, families and friends who are struggling, telling fans, “We are going to take a year off from the Dance Party to End ALZ this year, and we are going to come back so big and bad in 2026. So this is the official announcement about that.”
The duo has, however, set up a link for those who would still like to donate to an online Dance Party to End ALZ fund, with money funneled into research grants like every other year. Supporters can also text DanceParty25 to 76278.
For those who like to plan well in advance, the duo confirmed that the 2026 Dance Party will take place again in the fall, in Los Angeles, with a specific date still to be determined.
Nikki DeLoach Tears Up Sharing How 2024 Funds Saved Research Grant
Heavy/GettyThe Halloween-themed, seventh annual Dance Party to End ALZ, held on October 27 in Hollywood, raised over $250,000 and was emceed by “Finding Mr. Christmas” stars Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
During the June 27 Instagram Live with Williams, DeLoach got choked up as she shared how the money raised by supporters in 2024 has helped keep a study alive in 2025 that had been recently ended due to government budget cuts.
“There was an actual study that was already in process that they had put a lot of work and time into that was cut by the NIH,” DeLoach said. “And here’s the thing about these studies, these are long-term studies, number one. It’s so heartbreaking for the scientists and researchers, because they’ve spent so much time and effort into these, and whenever they have to stop, they have to start over. You can’t just two years later, pick up the study and keep going.”
“What the money that you guys donated and raised for the Dance Party last year (did),” DeLoach said, getting choked up,”is we were able to take that money and put it towards one of their really important, big studies so that it could keep going.”
“Now I cannot begin to tell you enough how much that means to the two of us,”, DeLoach said, and Williams was clearly moved, too. “Thank you so much, and how much it means to the disease itself and to the future of the disease.”
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Nikki DeLoach & Ashley Williams Emotionally Share Difficult Decision About Their Fundraiser