Walk to End Alzheimer’s scheduled

The community is invited to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s this Saturday at Bucklin Park to help raise funds for the San Diego/Imperial County chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The event is being hosted by the Imperial County Area Agency on Aging and the regional Alzheimer’s Association chapter.

In an effort to raise awareness, Dr. Unnati Sampat from the Imperial Valley Family Care Medical Group and Dr. Phil Greiner, director of San Diego State University’s School of Nursing, will speak before the walk begins.

The day will also include music by the band Ringo and the Gringos, information booths from support organizations and the opportunity to register for the Medic Alert/Safe Return program.

KYMA News 11’s evening anchor and assistant news director Jenny Day will serve as master of ceremonies. Walk registration begins at 9 a.m.; the program starts at 9:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Walkers can do a one- or two-mile loop.

Money raised at the event will allow the association to serve more people with dementia, their caregivers and others in the community by providing outreach, education, advocacy and research.

Interested individuals can register at the Area Agency on Aging office in El Centro by calling (442) 265-7033 or at Bucklin Park on Saturday.

An estimated 60,000 people in San Diego and Imperial counties have Alzheimer’s, and there are three times as many caregivers, an Alzheimer’s Association press release stated.

For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or call the 24/7 helpline at (800) 272-3900.