Alzheimer’s Association to host walk in Albany Saturday

ALBANY — Albany and surrounding area residents are invited to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research during the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Saturday.

The Alzheimer’s Association, an organization dedicated to accelerating Alzheimer’s research and education, began hosting the walk in 1989. It’s the world’s largest event to raise funds and educate about Alzheimer’s, according to a news release.

The event, which will feature community vendors and music, begins at 9 a.m. The opening ceremony will start at 9:30. The walk will begin and end at Riverfront Park behind the Welcome Center on 112 N. Front St.

Not everyone has to walk, Becky Belcher, an Alzheimer’s Association board member who has volunteered at the event for more than 16 years, said. There will be a “memory garden” where people can write memories on flowers. Others attend simply to connect and talk with others who’ve been impacted by the disease.

Most people have been impacted by Alzheimer’s or dementia, she said. The disease causes a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills, according to the Mayo Clinic.

More than 150,000 people live with Alzheimer’s in Georgia. In Dougherty County, about 15% of people over age 65 have Alzheimer’s, according to Megan Wilson, the Association’s southwest Georgia program manager.

Saturday’s walk is a great way for people who are impacted by the disease to come together and know they’re not alone, Belcher, who has three family members with Alzheimer’s, said.

“People come out from all over,” she said. “They walk and get to share stories and memories. We all have the same agenda.”

The event not only raises awareness and supports advocacy efforts, but also raises funds for research toward one goal: ending Alzheimer’s.

The goal for this year’s walk is to raise $25,000. As of Tuesday, $14,450, over half of that goal, had been raised.

Funds also go to local services.

In Dougherty County, the Alzheimer’s Association shares resources with the community through education programs and also hosts a support group at the Abundant Life Fellowship Center, Megan Wilson said. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month. The Association also partners with the local Alzheimer’s Outreach Center, which helps caregivers, to host educational opportunities.

One of these is Dinner with Docs, during which caregivers can learn about resources available to them.

It’s important for communities — especially those with statistics like Dougherty County — to find support when facing this disease, Wilson said.

“This disease is so stigmatized … and it’s important for people to move past that stigma, and realize there are things that we can do and there’s a community out there for support,” she said. “Nobody’s got to walk through this disease alone.”

Anyone is welcome to register prior to or at the event. Often groups will arrive wearing shirts memorializing loved ones, Belcher said.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s walk, visit alz.org/walk.

“Just come out and have a good time, learn about the disease,” she said. “Hopefully you’ll never have to be touched by it. But if you are, you’ll have a leg up and will know what to do and have the resources in front of you.”

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