107. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s explained
What do you imagine when you think about the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s? If you imagine people running in a 5K, guess again!
Megan Rowe, Senior Program Manager of the Alzheimer’s Association Dallas and Northeast Texas Chapter, rejoins the podcast to give an idea of this event that comes every fall. These walks happen in over 600 communities across the U.S. every year and serve as the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.
Thousands of people attend The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® to enjoy solidarity and a sense of community. There are stage performances, music, food trucks, and vendors that provide resources to help support those affected by the dementia and Alzheimer’s community. There’s also a ceremony where people wear flowers that represent different connections to the cause. For instance, wearing a yellow flower means you’re a current caregiver for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Each walk only has one white flower, symbolizing the first survivor.
People can create their own team or walk alone, but the goal of these teams is to not only walk, but to collectively raise money to support Alzheimer’s research. The more you raise, the more likely you are to win one of the prizes. It’s rewarding work: Because of donors, there’s more than $310 million invested in research, with 950 active research projects in 48 countries. It truly makes a huge impact in the search for a cure.
You can bring your pets or children and walk a shorter route if you’d like, and there’s no pressure to run.
It’s a fun and meaningful way to work toward a brighter future.
Topics discussed:
- Alzheimer’s and dementia
- Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®
- Fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association
- Alzheimer’s research
- Activities at the Alzheimer’s Walks
- Volunteering and fundraising
Takeaways from this episode:
- The Alzheimer's Association is the 3rd largest funder of research across the globe behind the US government and the Chinese government.
- Fundraising proceeds contribute not only to research for a cure, but free resources for the community that support families impacted by the disease.
- It’s fun for the whole family. You can bring children or pets and walk a shorter route if you’d like.
- Thinking about giving back? Volunteers are always needed for registration, passing out bracelets, cheerleaders, and more.
- In 2011 the federal government allocated $400 million toward Alzheimer’s research. That figure has risen to over $3 billion, and it increases every year thanks to advocacy efforts.
- Fundraising is made easy through personal fundraising pages you can make as part of a team or an individual walking, and there’s also an app that functions similar to a bank app.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
