By Miller Reynolds
The Alzheimer’s society of Belleville-Hastings-Quinte is at it again. They will be holding their annual “Walk for Memories” on Sunday January 29th, to raise money for research and care charity for people living with dementia.
Two years ago the Belleville Walk for Memory was able to raise $41,000, increasing to an all-time high of $50,000 in last year’s event.
Laura Hare, executive director of the Belleville-Hastings-Quinte Alzheimer Society, said it’s really “humbling” that people are asking others for money to help.
“I give a lot of credit to our staff who are out there helping people,” she said.
Today there are 181,000 people suffering from dementia in Ontario alone.
The Alzheimer Society of Ontario is leading the way to help people living with dementia.
This year marks the 25th anniversary for the provincial Alzheimer society and the 17th year of the “Walk for Memories” event. The goal this year is to raise $2.5 million across Ontario by inviting people to take part in the festivities and donate to services that help people living with Alzheimer’s.
A network of 39 chapters across the province provide education and information, respite care and day programs, individual and family counseling and support groups.
Hare says the local walk participants will be wearing blue shirts, and waving blue ribbons again this year as they take part in the festivities.
“We have music, balloons, games and food, we also have a memory wall where people bring in pictures, so there’s some poignancy on why we’re here,” she said.
Linda Mazur-Jack, whose husband suffers from Alzheimer’s, knows firsthand the importance of early detection.
“If anybody has a suspicion that a loved one is beginning to go down that road, there’s a phone book, you can look under Alzheimer Society, you can find where information and assistance is available and go for it. Make use of the resources that are available, because it’s a long road and a difficult road and you need all the help you can get,” she said.
“The support and the acknowledgement is tremendously important,” she said.
For more information visit www.walkformemories.ca