On October 6, Moraine Park Technical College hosted the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Participants gathered in the early morning cold. For three miles, walkers braved the nippy wind as the sun struggled to break through clouds. Among them were four Ripon College students including the newly crowned Miss Ripon, Emily Dozier ‘14.
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts over six hundred walks throughout the country to help end Alzheimer’s. The walk both raises funds for Alzheimer’s research as well as increases awareness for both walkers and members of the community.
According to its website the Alzheimer’s Association strives “to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.” Alzheimer’s in the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Before the walk, all participants were encouraged to select a flower from the Promise Garden Flowers, sponsored by ManorCare Health Services in Fond du Lac. Participants either carried the flowers throughout the walk to raise awareness or “planted” them outside the front doors to create a pinwheel flower garden. The flowers came in four colors: blue if the participants had Alzheimer’s; purple if they had lost someone to the disease; yellow if they were supporting someone with the disease; orange if they sought a future without Alzheimer’s.
“It wasn’t a bad way to spend a Saturday morning. Not only does it contribute to a great cause, but you learn a lot about Alzheimer’s too,” noted Ripon participant Andrea Slosser ’13.
The walk in Fond du Lac raised over $17,000 for the cause of ending Alzheimer’s disease. Walkers from all ages, senior citizens to babies blissfully sleeping in their strollers, were a part of the walk last Saturday. As walkers returned to base after their circuits, they were welcomed back by volunteers announcing, “Every step you took this morning is a step to a world without Alzheimer’s.”
