OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Hundreds of people gathered at Corporate Woods in Overland Park, Kansas, Sunday morning for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Participants in the walk are encouraged to raise money which the Alzheimer’s Association uses to pay for support and care for people suffering with Alzheimer’s as well as fund research to prevent, treat and ultimately cure Alzheimer’s.
The primarily degenerative brain disease causes dementia and effects memory loss in mostly older adults, although early-onset is possible. Roughly 6 million Americans are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s Association is a nationwide nonprofit focused on advocating for and supporting people living with the disease while helping researchers fight the disease. Sunday’s walk in Overland Park raised more than $400,000.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s. Researchers say there are some treatments available, the majority of which are most effective after early detection of the disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association lists confusion with time and place, commonly misplacing items, and memory loss which impacts daily routine as some possible signs of Alzheimer’s.
Liz Rowe is a board member for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Heart of America Chapter. She lost her mother to Alzheimer’s disease. Sunday was her 22nd time participating in the walk. Her team raised more than $20,000.
Researchers and students at the University of Kansas Medical Center were among the participants.
While Sunday’s walk was in-person, there was a virtual option for people who did not want to be in a crowd during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, visit its website.
