Hundreds ‘walk' for Alzheimer's awareness

Downtown Starkville was decorated with ribbons, pinwheels and balloons Saturday morning as scores of participants from around the Golden Triangle turned out for the Walk to End Alzheimer's.

The event - sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association - saw 375 people register for the walk, which began at 10 a.m. on Main Street and covered a loop that snaked 2.6 miles through the Cotton District and back into downtown Starkville.

Vendors and local entities were set up along Main Street and attendees were treated to live music and an address from Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill prior to the beginning of the walk.

Pattye Archer, marketing coordinator for the event's planning committee, said the last two events had been negatively impacted by bad weather, but the clear skies and mild fall temperatures made for a big turnout and special event in 2017.

"We had a huge crowd," Archer said. "We had a lot of people pre-register, but we got just as many coming up to register today, so we are so excited."

While the overall goal of the walk was to raise money for Alzheimer's research, Archer said it was just as important to raise awareness of the disease and what those impacted have to endure when a loved one is diagnosed.

"This is a crippling disease that affects so many people," Archer said. "A lot of times, it's kind of a quiet disease, a lot of people don't talk about it."

Columbus native Trudy McDanell is currently caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with dementia earlier this year.

"I'm just now getting involved with Alzheimer's and dementia … unfortunately, it sometimes takes something devastating to get involved," Mc-

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