Over the next several weeks, Walks to End Alzheimer’s will be held in 19 cities across Iowa to raise awareness and funds to battle that disease.
Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter, says each of the events held in the state has individual distinctions, but they all share common elements.
“It’s a two-mile walk and if you want to come and do all of the great things we have pre-walk but you’re not able to walk, that’s just fine too,” Livingston says. “I’ve heard a lot of people describe it as one big support group because everyone there has some sort of connection to the cause, whether they’re a current caregiver or a past caregiver, or maybe even living with the disease right now.”
The state’s largest event is typically the Des Moines walk which draws about 2,000 participants. This year’s walk will begin at Principal Park on September 27th.
“One of the best parts of the morning is called the Promise Garden ceremony and we have different colors of what we call Promise Garden flowers,” Livingston says, “and everyone holds them up in the air and it just really demonstrates how many people are actually affected by this disease.” The colors of the Promise Garden flowers — purple, yellow, blue and orange — represent the different reasons why people walk.
In Iowa, there are more than 62,000 people living with the disease and over 80,000 caregivers. This year’s state goal for the walks is to raise $1.4 million dollars.
“The money is used for local support resources like education programs, which are all throughout the state and virtually, support groups for caregivers. We have 65 support groups throughout the state and a couple of virtual ones as well,” Livingston says, “and then a big part of it goes to research to help find future prevention methods, diagnosis methods, and ultimately a cure.”
The first Iowa walk is scheduled for September 13th in the Quad Cities, with others planned in: Ames, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Council Bluffs, Decorah, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Harlan, Iowa City, Mason City, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Panora, Sioux City, Storm Lake and West Burlington.
