Group meets at Kin Coulee in support of Alzheimer’s and dementia

A large group of Hatters gathered Friday evening at Kin Coulee Park to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The Walk for Alzheimer’s event has been put on for about 10 years by the Investors Group in support of the Alzheimer Society group in Medicine Hat, with the goal of raising around $15,000 in Medicine Hat and Brooks.

“We’re out here tonight to raise awareness and funds to help support people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Alzheimer Society community relations worker Alariss Schmid. “We have had an office here in Medicine Hat for over 10 years and we just want to continue working with the community.”

While working on these events for five years, Schmid says the need in the Medicine Hat community surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia is big.

“There are a lot of families in the community dealing with a diagnosis of these disease,” she said. “Not only that but there are many families out there that think they might have a loved one with some symptoms. We’re trying to spread as much information as possible surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

Director of the local Investors Group Sean Wheeler says the event continues to grow each year.

“It’s really exciting to see more and more people coming out to our walk,” he said. “With that being said, we’d like to encourage more and more people to come out and join us for the walk and barbecue — the money we raise goes to a really good place.”

Schmid says there are a few key indicators of Alzheimer’s and dementia that people can look out for.

“One of the biggest signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia is general forgetfulness,” she said. “Things like forgetting where you placed something around the house, or driving somewhere and forgetting why you went there.”