With the emergence of new treatments for Alzheimer’s, the annual Walk to End the disease in Yaphank is offering new excitement and hope for those who will gather on Saturday, Oct. 19.
“We look forward to growing our walks and increasing our fundraising so that we can have more options for treatments in years to come,” said Christina Russo, Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter board member and Eastern Long Island Walk co-chair.
With a good-weather prospect of 700 people, she put the goal this year at $245,000 for Yaphank, and notes that fundraising efforts are not contingent upon the walk but continue through Dec. 31. No advance signup is required, so participants can decide the day of the walk whether they want to have a share in fighting Alzheimer’s, a leading cause of death in the U.S., impacting more than 426,000 people in New York alone.
For Russo, who lost her grandmother to Alzheimer’s in 2018, one of the highlights of the day is the Promise Garden, which uses colored flowers to join those impacted by the disease. Each color represents a different way Alzheimer's has touched their lives, like becoming a caregiver for loved ones with dementia or mourning their departure.
“We have a ceremony that really reflects everybody’s story of why they’re walking,” she said. “So, you walk through this Promise Garden, and you can look around without having to have a single conversation with anybody and know exactly why they’re there. It’s very comforting for individuals that have lost someone or are going through it, because you’re not alone.” As part of the ceremony, individuals representing each flower will speak on their experiences, she said, “and you can’t help but almost shed a tear for what they’ve experienced.”
On a lighter note, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s has fun for families, especially children. The event takes advantage of its location at Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank to offer a little petting zoo as well as pumpkin painting in a designated children’s zone, said Russo. Additionally, the event has a “great emcee” known to liven up the morning.
The day's activities begin with registration at 9 a.m. followed by the ceremony at 10 a.m. and, of course, the walk itself. Those interested can get updates and register for the walk at this website.
Riding the wave of continued growth for these events, the Yaphank walk branched out from the North Babylon walk in 2016 and continues to draw supporters, according to Russo.
Said Russo, “It really is a fantastic opportunity for individuals to come out and check out the farm and spend time with their family. We hope to see many, many new people….We look forward to creating more awareness and just bringing together individuals to experience walk day and to achieve our goal for a world without this disease.”
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event designed to address the disease-related cost of research, care and support. For more on the disease and early detection visit alz.org.