Alzheimer's walk scheduled for this Saturday
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 17, 2016 11:05 AM
The Duplin/Greene/Wayne County AlzNC Walk, scheduled for Saturday in downtown Goldsboro, will still be held, organizers said.
It may be a little different this year -- there may be no physical awards presented -- but the spirit and the tone of the event will be there in full force.
"We're not sure about the vendors. At this point we're not sure who's going to be there from AlzNC but there should be a representative from corporate," said Lisa Barker, co-chairman.
And the business they use to provide awards -- for sponsors and such categories as oldest walker or team that raised the most money -- has been under water.
"We're still going to do the awards, but whether we have something to actually hand them, we don't know, but we're going to go on with it," said co-chairman Carol Lancaster. "With the road conditions, we don't know how we'll be impacted."
This is the fourth year the two women have worked together on the walk, the 14th it has been held in Goldsboro.
It originated at Herman Park, was later moved to Wayne Community College, then in 2013 found its new home at Cornerstone Commons in downtown Goldsboro.
The one-mile walk is open to individuals and teams from Wayne as well as Duplin and Greene counties. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Opening ceremonies are at 9, followed by the walk from 9:30-10:30.
"One thing I think I'm really excited about this year is we have more teams," Mrs. Lancaster said. "But you do not have to sign up. You can register the morning of the event.
"There's no registration fees to walk. We just encourage anyone to come out and support it, come out and walk with us."
This year's theme will be "Around the World with Alzheimer's."
Anyone who wants to dress up in any type of ethnic or cultural apparel is invited to do so., she said.
In addition to the free walk, it is a morning of fun as well as an opportunity to get connected with other caregivers and resources available to them.
"We're hoping there will be a lot of interaction with the families who are caregivers or have their loved ones in facilities," Mrs. Lancaster said.
No financial goal has been set for the fundraiser this year, the women said.
"There's been so many changes with what corporations and businesses are allowed to do, so we have just focused on the community support," Mrs. Lancaster said. "We really don't have a specific (amount) this year.
"We're still doing as much as we possibly can and greatly appreciate those who have continued to support it. All funds that are raised stay in the state of North Carolina."
It is definitely a worthwhile cause, she said, as the statistics of those affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia continue to climb.
"The increase in death from Alzheimer's is like 71 percent (between 2010 and 2013) and the others, like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, they're all down," she said. "(For those) you have at least some type of medication and sometimes even a cure. We don't need to forget, there's no treatment, there's no cure for this disease.
"Research is definitely a big part of the fundraising. I think by raising these funds, it can help programs or help do the research so that we can find a way to at least slow the process down."
There are also ongoing services in this community for caregivers and loved ones of those with Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Alzheimer's North Carolina sponsors a monthly educational meeting and support for families taking care of loved ones, on the first Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the parlor at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Contact is Anne Paugh at 919-759-2267.
The Senior Center offers a respite program for caregivers and, starting back up Oct. 20, holds an educational enrichment class and support group, free for caregivers. It is held every other Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
On the fourth Monday of the month, at 5:30 p.m., Eastpointe leads a free caregivers education class at the Senior Center.
For more information on the services or the walk, contact Ms. Barker at 919-731-1608 or visit alznc.org.