Every year, the Alzheimer’s Association hosts an annual walk to raise awareness and support to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. This month, our local communities are having their ALZ Walks and we want to provide you with more information about Alzheimer’s and how this powerful event is supporting those affected by it.
About Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, resulting in difficulty with memory, thinking, and behavior, and although symptoms may appear slowly, they can eventually interfere with daily life. Currently, there are more than 5 million people in the U.S. living with Azheimer’s, with 66% of those being women. This disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in America—in fact, one in three seniors dies from Alzheimer’s. Since 2000, the amount of deaths caused by Alzheimer’s has skyrocketed by 145%. There is currently no cure for this disease.
About the Walk to End Alzheimer’s®
Every year, people of all ages from more than 600 communities nationwide gather to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research to find a cure for this disease. The walk is free, but participants are encouraged to fundraise in order to contribute to the cause and raise awareness in their community. With the help of these people, this has become the largest event for Alzheimer’s in the world!
The event includes a beautiful visual called The Promise Garden as a mission-focused experience for all participants and volunteers to come together and commit to remember, honor, care, and fight Alzheimer’s. Each participant receives a colored paper flower representing their connection to the event.
How Do I Participate?
You can sign-up to participate in just 3 easy steps:
- Find a walk in your community
- Register as a team captain, team member, or individual
- Start to fundraise and raise awareness
The ALZ website has some great tips on how to jumpstart your fundraising. You can also choose to volunteer on the Volunteer Planning Committee and help with duties such as sponsorships, team recruitment, and logistics, or as a Walk Day Volunteer to help with registration, cheerleading, and so much more!
Learn More About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a global organization that works to promote further care, support, and research globally. This organization provides support and care to all affected by Alzheimer’s through online message boards, in-person support groups, and a free nationwide 24/7 help-line (800-272-3900). You can be sure that every dollar you contribute or raise goes towards benefitting those affected in your community and drives innovative research & development to end Alzheimer’s.
Do you want to get involved with the ALZ walk in your community? Each Park Street Senior Living community is having its local ALZ walk on November 2, 2019. Give our compassionate staff a call today at (540) 246-0888 and see what we can do to help you and your loved ones stay safe and comfortable in their golden years.