Media release: Area residents looking to help in the fight against Alzheimer's are invited to attend the "Walk to End Alzheimer's" walk on Saturday, November 12 at Berry College's Krannert Student Center.
Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., with the walk beginning at 10:00 a.m.
"Every 69 seconds a person will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This number will escalate rapidly in the coming years as the baby boom generation ages. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death across all ages in the U.S. It is the fifth leading cause of death for those 65 and older. Twenty-eight thousand people in North Georgia area alone have Alzheimer's. One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer's disease," according to a press release from the Alzheimer's Association.
The association works to provide information about the disease to everyone. According to the organization, Alzheimer's is "a fatal brain disease and a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks and will eventually result in death."
Charisse Durham, branch manager of Help At Home, Inc. and co-chair of the walk said, "The Alzheimer's Association is the leading organization that assists families who are suffering from this wide-spread disease. If we do not assist in the advocacy and research now, this could financially cripple the healthcare system if something isn't done. We only have five FDA approved drugs to manage symptoms. We have no means of preventing, slowing progression of the disease and only ideas about what a cure would look like. Also, since there are no survivors and it takes so much of a toll on families, we have to make a plea for more people to get involved on behalf of those who can't. This is the only disease in the top ten causes of death in the United States that has such a bleak outlook. Alzheimer's is an epidemic."
Matt Davis, of 95.7 The Ridge and co-chair of the Walk to End Alzheimer's said the
www.alz.org/Georgia website is a good resource for information about the disease and can be used to register for the walk or donate to the advocacy, resource and research efforts. Also, the staff at the Alzheimer's Association is a wealth of information and you can reach them at 1-800-272-3900.
Last year's event, a record breaking year, raised $62,000. Davis said the group is seeking to surpass that amount with this year's Walk. The funds will go toward programs and services including support groups, 24/7 Helpline and education as well as research.
The walk festivities will include entertainment, a kid's corner, and advocacy information and will feature a memory garden where those who have lost loved ones can leave a tribute. For more information, you may call the Alzheimer's Association at
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