Despite pandemic, Albany Alzheimer’s walk raises $30,000-plus

ALBANY – More than a hundred area residents participated in this year’s Albany Walk to End Alzheimer’s, according to a news release by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participants walked as individuals and small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails across Albany on Saturday, raising more than $30,000 to support the care, support and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Albany is such a philanthropic community,” Albany Walk Director Chrystal Bell said in a news release. “This has been a difficult year for everyone but it shows from the participation and money raised that Albany is not giving up on the fight against Alzheimer’s. We thank each and every person who participated this year.”

“Charlie’s Angels” was the top fundraising team at this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising more than $3,300. This is the third year for Team Captain Shonda Bell. Her mother, Charlie Cross, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 and currently lives with Shonda and her family, making Shonda the primary caregiver.

“Since 2016, our family has watched what the disease has done to my mother,” Bell said. “She sometimes tells me that she knows what is happening to her and that makes her sad. It makes me sad, too, because it seems so unfair to her and those of us who love her. This is why I have decided to do as much as I can to help find a cure and educate others about this terrible disease.”

Before beginning their individual walks, the participants in Albany joined the virtual Opening Ceremony. In addition, Riverfront Park featured a view only Promise Garden, a mission-focused experience representing participants’ journeys and promise to remember, honor, care and fight for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Georgia alone, there are more than 150,000 people living with the disease and 540,000 caregivers.

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; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

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 dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.

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