Walking to end Alzheimer’s
Local residents donned purple and gathered outside the El Dorado Conference Center on Saturday for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Before the walk was the Flower Ceremony, in which each participant holds a flower that represents their motivation for participating in the walk.
In the ceremony, orange flowers are held by people there to support the cause, purple flowers are held by those who have lost someone to the disease, yellow flowers are held and planted by caregivers and blue flowers are held by those who currently have dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Participant Brandi Parker also spoke before the walk, talking about her own experience caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s Disease.
“As many of you know who have someone living with this disease or have someone who passed, someone once said ‘it’s like seeing someone die 1,000 deaths.’ I think that’s true, the cruelty of the disease is no secret,” Parker said.
“But I would like to offer that there’s a flip-side to that, where I like to find optimism and hope. This disease is felt more by the family sometimes than the person who has it- we all get to share the burden. For me, that’s where I find my hope, and the strength to be here today. On behalf of my mother, I can share some of that burden. I just wanted to offer a sense of support,” Parker continued, adding that she brought her family for their first Walk and plans to participate in “many, many others.”
The walk started at the Arkansas 9/11 Memorial and traced a route through downtown El Dorado before returning to the starting point.
Several local teams and individuals participated in and raised money for the walk. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “dollars raised help support local programs, education classes, support groups, the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline, and funds research for treatment and a cure.” In Arkansas alone, there are more than 58,000 people living with the disease and 154,000 caregivers, according to the organization.