As the number of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise, the Alzheimer’s Association is urging communities to step up—and step out—for those impacted by the disease. This October, two local Walk to End Alzheimer’s events will take place in Newport News and Williamsburg, giving residents a powerful opportunity to join the fight against the nation’s most expensive disease.
The Newport News Walk is scheduled for Friday, October 18 at Port Warwick, while the Williamsburg Walk will be held Friday, October 25 at the New Town Gazebo. Registration for both events is now open at alz.org.
Now you are probably asking yourself: “How can I help? Why should this matter to me?”. Every walk they need volunteers to greet people, handle registration and check in, set-up and clean-up the events, help operate the Promise Garden, attend tents and booths, pass out water, help with the route monitoring and cheer stations, help the thank you brigade, and by taking pictures and videos. Those aren’t only the ways to help at the event. Before each event they need people to help out with company outreach (finding sponsors and contacting them), community engagement (promoting the events), and then planning the events in general. You can also help by sharing the link to gain donations or make a donation yourself.
“More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States,” the Alzheimer’s Association shared in a recent newsletter. “Additionally, nearly 12 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Virginia, there are more than 165,000 people, 65 years and older, living with the disease, as well as 346,000 unpaid caregivers.”
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Funds raised support critical initiatives, including education and outreach, clinical trials, and resources for caregivers—many of whom are navigating the disease without professional assistance.
The Alzheimer’s Association remains steadfast in its mission: “We won’t rest until everyone living with the disease—at any stage—can get the treatment, care and support they need and deserve.”
Participants in the Walk events will honor those affected by the disease with a Promise Garden ceremony, representing the personal reasons people fight to end Alzheimer’s. Whether you walk for a loved one, a caregiver, or in memory of someone lost, each step helps move the mission forward.
“The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research,” the organization states. “Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.”
To register or donate, visit alz.org, or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
For those living with Alzheimer’s, their families, and caregivers, these Walks are more than events—they’re symbols of hope, determination, and community strength.
