By Samantha Cantelon
[1]BELLVILLE, ON (01/30/12)- Linda Mazur visits her husband, Jack, at Hastings Manor a residence home in Belleville, On. on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Jack was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2009 and has been living in Hastings Manor for seven months. Photo by Samantha Cantelon.
The Alzheimer Society of Belleville-Hastings-Quinte held their 17th annual Walk for Memories this past weekend at the Bay View Mall in Belleville.
A total of 400 people participated, of which 114 were registered walkers.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain that can cause irreversible loss of neurons and loss of intellectual abilities.
The walk raised an estimated $54,000 to help increase awareness about Alzheimer’s and related dementia. The money raised will also go to programs and support for people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
Linda Mazur has participated with her husband in the Walk for Memories three or four times.
Mazur, whose husband, Jack was diagnosed in 2009, at the age of 68 said, “None of my friends really knew what I was dealing with. It is one of those things that you have to go through or have gone through to actually know. The support I got from the Alzheimer’s Society was crucial. I did not feel as alone.”
Jack has lived at Hastings Manor, a residence home in Belleville, for seven months now.
The Alzheimer Society held their first walk in 1996 that raised $3,272, and each year, the support for this event gets bigger.
According to the Alzheimer Society, one in 11 of people in Belleville over the age of 65 approximately 914 people are affected with some form of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The money raised at the event will go towards expanding services to provide family support and public education for Hastings County and Brighton.
“ Awareness is very important,” said Laura Hare, executive director at the Alzheimer Society.
“When people hear our radio ads and see our media sponsorship its causes people to take action and get support for themselves or family members.”