ADRIAN — Lenawee County-area residents are encouraged to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in this weekend’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s as presented by the Alzheimer’s Association .
The event is taking place Sunday, Sept. 29, at ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township, 5640 N. Adrian Highway. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony at 12:45 p.m. and the walk to immediately follow. The Lenawee County Walk to End Alzheimer’s — which last year raised more than $64,000 for Alzheimer’s and dementia care, support and critical research — brings together individuals and teams dedicated to an eventual world without Alzheimer’s.
“This is a pivotal moment in the fight against Alzheimer’s. There are now treatments that change the course of the disease,” Jennifer Lepard, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter, said in a news release. “We hope that everyone in our community can join us by starting a team to help the Alzheimer’s Association raise awareness and funds for families facing the disease today, take more steps toward treatments and finally end this disease.”
On Sunday, participants can honor those affected by Alzheimer’s during the Promise Garden ceremony — a mission-focused experience that signifies a community’s solidarity in the fight against the disease. During the ceremony, walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to the disease. A white flower is held to signify the first survivor of Alzheimer's.
“Through the walk, I have been given the opportunity to look this cruel disease in the face and actually have a way to fight back,” Molly Meadows, Lenawee County Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee co-chair, said. “It is a celebration of all we can accomplish together.”
As of Thursday, Sept. 26, 258 participants have registered for Sunday’s walk, as have 36 teams.
Lenawee County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is seeking to raise $75,000 for Alzheimer’s research. It currently has generated $52,123 — roughly about 69% achieved.
Current sponsors of the Lenawee County Walk to End Alzheimer’s include: Lenawee County Department on Aging, Kirchhoff Automotive, Springcreek Rehab and Nursing Center, Lenawee Medical Care Facility, Cambrian Senior Living, Gaslight Village Assisted Living and Wellwise Services Area Agency on Aging.
The national presenting sponsor of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Edward Jones.
To register, donate and receive updated information about the Walk to End Alzheimer’s campaign, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
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Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of death in the United States, the Alzheimer’s Association said. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
In Michigan, there are more than 202,800 people living with the disease and 380,000 unpaid caregivers.
“My favorite thing about the Walk (to End Alzheimer's) is how it unites so many people around a common cause,” Kara Dominique, co-chair of the Lenawee Walk said. “At the end of the day, all our efforts to raise funds and awareness do good for our community. Looking across a crowd of 300-plus people as they lift their flowers brings me to tears every year, knowing that we’ve all had unique but similar experiences battling this disease, yet we still have the hope that one day, very soon, we’ll have someone waving the white flower in our midst. It’s so inspiring and drives me from year to year to push harder and do more.”
— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman .
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee County residents can join in the Walk to End Alzheimer's scheduled for Sept. 29
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