ANGIE DICKINSON at the Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award to Dr. Mani Bhaumik, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California - 15.11.05

The POLICE WOMAN star's sister, MARY LOU BELMONT, battled the insidious illness for 20 years before she passed away in December (05) - and now Dickinson is planning a major Alzheimer's awareness campaign to make sure her sibling didn't suffer in vain.

The actress, 74, plans to testify in front of Congress in a desperate bid to prompt politicians to find more cash to fund research.

She says, "I know she (sister) didn't die in vain and that's a blessing. It's because of her that I became involved.

"Mary Lou's legacy is that she increased our awareness and so many more people now know what a tragic disease this is."

More than 100,000 Americans succumb to Alzheimer's every year.