Bell County Residents Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Originally published inThe Belton Journal prior to the availability of their digital archive

The Alzheimer’s Association invites Bell County area residents to join in on the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, September 11 at Liberty Park in Belton. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s website (alz.org), this annual walk is “the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.” They go on to say that the event “calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease.” Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects “more than 6 million Americans,” which makes it “a leading cause of death in the United States.” In Texas alone, “there are more than 400,000 people living with the disease and well over one million usually unpaid caregivers” (alz.org).

The annual walk was held online in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will be in-person this year, while still following local COVID protocols. Options will be offered to participate online and in local neighborhoods for those who still do not wish to participate in-person. The opening ceremony kicks things off at 9:00 AM, and the walk begins shortly after at 9:30 AM.

On the day of the walk, participants will have the opportunity to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s by participating in the Promise Garden ceremony. This ceremony is, according to alz.org, “a hands-on, mission-focused activity that allows participants to raise flowers representing their promise to remember, honor, care and fight for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.”

According to the walk manager, Christy Hill, this year’s event will be a little different. “We will not only be honoring those people with Alzheimer’s at this year’s walk,” Hill says. “It is also the 20^th anniversary of the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center towers, and we will have a special memorial service to remember all of those who lost their lives that day.”

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s offers participants an opportunity to understand the personal impact of Alzheimer’s on local families, as well as the additional challenges posed for caregivers during the pandemic.