Walk to End Alzheimer’s coming to Lorain

Black River Landing be the site of the 2019 Lorain County Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 21, according to a news release.

Activities and registration begin at 8 a.m., Promise Garden ceremony at 10 a.m. and the walk begins at 10:30 a.m.

The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting local residents and businesses to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by registering for the Walk.

To register a team, visit act.alz.org/lorain.

Participants choose a onemile or a three-mile route through Black River Landing, a new venue for the walk.

More than 800 walkers are expected to raise $150,000.

After the walk, participants may join in an afterparty with family-friendly activities, games, information booths and light refreshments, the release said.

Kaplan’s Furniture is the presenting sponsor, a sponsorship commitment it has made since the inception of the walk in 2011.

Steve Kaplan, president of Kaplan’s Furniture and Multilink Inc., and his family have been involved with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and the Cleveland Area Chapter for more than 15 years.

Kaplan’s father died of Alzheimer’s and he is dedicated to raising awareness of this disease in his father’s honor.

The Morning Journal is the walk’s Media Sponsor.

“There has never been a greater need to join in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease,” said Nancy Udelson, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter. “Funds raised will provide care and support services to all those facing Alzheimer’s disease, advance education and awareness efforts and drive research and fuel efforts to advocate at federal and state levels for the support our movement needs.”

“I joined the Alzheimer’s Association as a volunteer after experiencing the impact this disease had on my mother and our family,” said Stan Bernat, Lorain County walk subcommittee chair.

Bernat’s mother, Irene, and her sister, Helen Ulatowski, both had Alzheimer’s.

“I formed a Walk to End Alzheimer’s team called Mindsweepers with the hope to sweep clear the cobwebs and issues of confusion and memory loss that Alzheimer’s disease afflicts on so many of our loved ones,” he said. “Each step taken by an Alzheimer caregiver along their path is different.

“The journey, however, is the same ... what is important for all to remember is that no one has to think that they are on their own. There are others that are on that journey currently, or like myself, have only the memories of the personal experience.

“The Alzheimer’s Association’s Helpline 800-272-3900 is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide advice, suggestions or to patiently listen.”

Walk to End Alzheimer’s is more than a walk; it calls on participants to unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions, according to the release.

In addition to the actual walk, participants learn about Alzheimer’s disease and how to get involved with this critical cause, from advocacy opportunities to support programs and services to clinical studies.