Walking to help bring back memories
By Josh Ellerbrock
Published in News on October 27, 2013 1:50 AM
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Seth Mabry
Anne Lambert of Goldsboro, left, Mary Singleton of Mount Olive and Phyllis Holmes of Mount Olive listen to music to help loosen up before the 11th annual Alzheimer's N.C. Goldsboro Walk in downtown Goldsboro on Saturday. All the funds raised stay in North Carolina.
Full Size
Seth Mabry
Anne Lambert of Goldsboro, left, Mary Singleton of Mount Olive and Phyllis Holmes of Mount Olive listen to music to help loosen up before the 11th annual Alzheimer's N.C. Goldsboro Walk in downtown Goldsboro on Saturday. All the funds raised stay in North Carolina.
A cold morning didn't stop nearly 150 people from walking for Alzheimer's research. Bundled up in jackets and hats, the crowd surged down Chestnut Street ready for one and half miles after collecting more than $25,000 to be given to Alzheimer's N.C.
In its 11th year, the Goldsboro Alzheimer's Walk, known previously as the Memory Walk, gives funds to Alzheimer's N.C., a nonprofit organization that spends its donated funds purely in North Carolina on research, support and educational training for caregivers.
The group formed in 2009 after splintering with the Alzheimer's Association in order to keep proceeds purely in North Carolina.
"We're here to help you. We're here to support you," Alzheimer N.C. development director Richard Hiatt said.
Caregivers dealing with the disease can access resources from offices in Greenville, Wilmington and Raleigh.
This is the first year the Goldsboro Alzheimer's Walk has been held in downtown Goldsboro to collaborate with the Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro's Really Chili Challenge.
And this year, the walk went off without a hitch thanks to three volunteers -- Lisa Pence, Kathy Barwick and Carol Lancaster -- Hiatt said.
"I couldn't have done it without them," he said. "I'm going to embarrass them. They're dynamite volunteers."
All three have had experiences dealing with family members struggling with Alzheimer's -- a struggle that caregivers have to watch on a daily basis.
"(Alzheimer's patients) are locked in their own bodies. They can't communicate, but they still need our love and support," Mrs. Barwick said.
Alzheimer's is estimated to affect a total of 5.1 million Americans, according to the National Institute on Aging, and research continues in order to find a cure.
And for those who have to watch a loved one's suffering, they look forward to the day when the disease has an end.
"I do believe one day we will conquer this dreaded disease," Mayor Al King said.
His own mother suffered from Alzheimer's before she died, and the mayor has made it a point to not miss an Alzheimer's Walk since the event started.
"I hope you can enjoy your walk. It ended up being pretty out, and remember, chili's next," King said to the crowd.