Participants sought for Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Everyone is invited to learn more about the Humboldt County Walk to End Alzheimer’s and how to join by attending a dropin walk kick-off on June 29 from noon to 1 p.m. or 5 to 6 p.m. at the Adorni Center, 1011 Waterfront Drive, Eureka.
This is a chance to register for the fundraising event, pick up walk resources, get questions answered and learn more about the walk. RSVP for this kick-off event at tinyurl.com/HumboldtWalkKickoff.
The seventh annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place Oct. 8 starting at the Adorni Center. Participants will walk a oneor three-mile loop course and, along the way, learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies and support programs and services from the Alzheimer’s Association. Walk participants will also join in a tribute ceremony to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. To register for the walk or become a team captain, go to act.alz.org/humboldt or text ALZWALK to 51555. There is no registration fee and no limit on the numbers of team members.
This event is held in over 600 communities nationwide to promote awareness about the disease and to raise funds.
“Participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s helps to take away the stigma from this disease. It helps start the conversation,” said local Alzheimer’s Association Community Engagement Manager Kim Coelho.
She said that families that are battling this disease need to know that they are not alone, that there is local support provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, Humboldt Senior Resource Center Alzheimer’s Resource Center, Redwood Caregiver Resource Center, Area 1 Agency on Aging and Adult Day Health Care of Mad River.
Also, the Alzheimer’s Association provides a free nationwide 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900) that is staffed by specialists and clinicians who provide support, offer information and suggest referrals. According to Coelho, many of these calls come in around 2 a.m., when family members feel the most alone and discouraged.
“They are so relived to find out that others are going through similar situations and that there is help available,” she said.
According to Coelho, helping locally will have a global impact.
“With one in three seniors being diagnosed with a dementia-related illness, this is a disease that is going to impact everyone,” she said. “Raising funds will help us identify, slow down and ultimately prevent this devastating disease. If you look at the millions of research dollars that have been spend on cancer, heart disease, HIV, stroke, you will see a dramatic decrease in deaths from these diseases, which is wonderful. We can do the same for Alzheimer’s disease. We just need the research dollars to fund the research proposals.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 3,673 people in Humboldt and Del Norte counties suffer from the fatal disease, a number projected to rise to more than 5,000 in the next decade. Over 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for someone living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
For more information, contact Kim Coelho at 707-832-4577, ext. 1240 or kcoelho@alz.org.