(from news release)
The Alzheimer’s Association invites St. Cloud area residents to join the fight for a different future by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 23 at Lake George near downtown St. Cloud.
This event is one of more than 600 in the country taking place this fall to help the association fund its local no-cost support groups and educational programs, research efforts around the globe and advocacy efforts on behalf of families impacted by Alzheimer’s.
Participants walk in honor of loved ones impacted by the disease. The walk will begin with a Promise Garden ceremony where walkers hold a colored flower representing their personal connection to the cause. They may have lost someone (purple), be fighting the disease (blue), a caregiver (yellow), or a supporter of the cause (orange).
Check-in is at 9 a.m. and the opening ceremony is at 10 a.m. with the walk to follow. Participants are encouraged to register early and fundraise to help the Alzheimer’s Association reach its $140,000 goal. Registration is free.
Alzheimer’s disease has deeply impacted the Maurer family. Having lost his mother and sister to Alzheimer’s, Mike was recently diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. Mike, a long-time educator, and his wife Lisa, have enjoyed going for near-daily walks together throughout their 36 years of marriage. Soon, they will walk together in the St. Cloud Walk to End Alzheimer’s as part of team “Maurer Determined Than Ever.”
“We walk for all who have lost their ability to walk because of Alzheimer’s,” Lisa said. “We especially walk for future generations. Hopefully they won’t need to walk down the path of Alzheimer’s and dementia because we will have found a cure.”
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, a leading cause of death in the United States. More than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Minnesota alone, there are more than 99,000 people living with the disease and 163,000 caregivers.
To register and receive the latest updates on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit http://act.alz.org/stcloud. After registering, participants get their own fundraising web page that is easy to edit and share.
This event is made possible thanks to many volunteers, generous local sponsors and national Walk to End Alzheimer’s presenting sponsor Edward Jones.
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk.
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other types of dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org.mnnd or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
