Community members will come together at the end of the month for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
The walk is the main fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, said Leslie Holland, senior director of marketing and communications for the Alzheimer’s Association. There are 600 walks nationwide and 20 in Georgia. The funds raised go to several different areas.
“Throughout the year, everything that we offer families is free,” Holland said. “From the 24/7 help line to education classes and community forums and support groups and different programs. All of that is free. Part of what the Walk to End Alzheimer’s funds is for us to be able to off those programs and services for free. It’s not the only thing that it funds, but that’s a big part of it.”
The event, which was previously called the Memory Walk, has been held in the Augusta area for at least 20 years, Holland said. Over the years it has evolved from the Memory Walk to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
During the event, attendees will carry flowers of either purple, blue, yellow and orange, Holland said. The flowers represent different things, Holland said. Purple represents having lost someone to Alzheimer’s. Blue means someone is living with the disease. Yellow represents someone who is a caregiver of someone with the disease or supporting someone with the disease. Orange represents supporting the cause.
As for how many people attend the events, Holland said it varies depending on the location. Smaller sites could have around 100 people, while larger locations could have 2,000 to 3,000. The average distance of the walk is two miles, but can be as long as a 5k. There is also a one-mile option for those who can’t walk as far.
As for why people should come out and participate, Holland said Alzheimer’s is a “devasting disease,” but the walk is a positive event. She said during the event there is a portion called the promise garden ceremony.
“We have a representative with each flower that comes up on stage and you talk just a moment about their personal story,” Holland said. “Then you have someone who comes up with a white flower. A white flower symbolizes the first survivor and we’re not there yet, but we are working on it. While that ceremony is a very poignant, emotional ceremony, seeing that white flower is so hopeful and then it’s just such a fun event.”
Holland added that the event celebrates people living with Alzheimer’s who are doing their best to live as long as they can. It’s also a way to celebrate caregivers.
“It’s really a happy, fun event. It’s very upbeat, despite the fact that it’s a subject matter that is not upbeat at all,” Holland said. “It’s a way to take a disease that’s a very tough disease and be able to celebrate and celebrate the caregivers and the hope we have for the future and the strides we have made so far.”
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place at the Evans Towne Park on Saturday, Sept. 28. Attendees can start arriving at 9 a.m. and the opening ceremony will be at 10 a.m. For more information, including registering or donating, visit https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2024/GA-Georgia
