Walking to Remember to raise funds, awareness to cope with Alzheimer’s

Walking to Remember, the largest annual fundraiser for Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, will be held at Riverchase Galleria on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 8 a.m., according to ACA spokesman Vance Holder. As participants walk laps inside the Galleria, they not only raise money but also spark much-needed conversation of dementia, according to Holder.

“Alzheimer’s disease is the one disease that people do not like to talk about – it is often swept under the rug,” he said. “At our walk, hundreds of folks come together to say, ‘This disease is real, it’s painful and we need to talk about it if we are going to better understand how to live with it.’”

There will also be entertainment, including the Vestavia Hills High School jazz band and Amanda Tapley, Miss Alabama 2008, who’ll sing the national anthem. There’s no registration fee, but individuals and teams are encouraged to raise money to sponsor their walks.

The organization raised just over $130,000 at the 2017 Walking to Remember, which drew about 400 people. They’re hoping to raise $135,000 this year, according to Holder.

About half of the money raised comes from walkers and the rest from sponsorships, he said. Money raised at Walking to Remember is used to serve more than 400 Alzheimer’s patients and their families, including help for people caring for a loved one at home, according to Holder.

The ACA also offers support groups, a telephone helpline and community education programs. For details, go to alzca.org.