Walk to end Alzheimer’s raises over $190K

Aaron Tell knows the challenges of dementia caregiving all too well, having witnessed his Aunt Freddi’s battle against Alzheimer’s disease

“Watching my aunt slip away and having to place her in an assisted living home where she was confined to her bed without a voice, I was determined more than ever to do something and become an active participant in the fight against Alzheimer’s for her and those who may be affected in the future,” said Tell, who was one of nearly 700 Boca Raton residents that took part in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

For years, Tell has been an annual participant of Walk to End Alzheimer’s in which he has found not only an opportunity to honor his aunt’s memory but also a sense of belonging to a greater community.

“It’s a community that understands what you’re going through and what you’ve been through,” he said. “Everybody’s fundraising for the same reason, for the same cause, and that is a world without Alzheimer’s.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participants walked as individuals and small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails around Boca Raton, raising over $192,000 to benefit the care, support and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“I am overwhelmed with the support the Boca Raton community has shown this year,” Boca Raton Walk to End Alzheimer’s director Stefanie Mardar said. “We have proven that even during trying times we can still come together for a cause that is greater than us all. I am grateful for every person who participated, and I look forward to the day we can celebrate our first survivor together.”

Although the format of the event was different from years past, traditional components of Walk to End Alzheimer’s were upheld, including an Opening Ceremony broadcast and a drive-through Promise Garden planted at Boca Raton Regional Hospital to honor the personal reasons participants walk.

“The Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to create awareness about the need to provide care, support, and research to end Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” said Dr. Patricio Espinosa, chief of neurology at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute. “We look forward to the day that we will have fields of white flowers in our Promise Garden for the survivors of this disease.”

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.

Visit alz.org/walk.

SAMANTHA LOGUE / COURTESY Linda Murphy and her dog took part in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s this year. The event drew nearly 700 Boca Raton residents who walked as individuals and small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails around Boca Raton.