Scores take part in walk against Alzheimer's
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 23, 2016 12:42 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Tammy and Scott Campbell of Pikeville raise their hands in victory Saturday morning as they near the end of the one-mile 14th annual Duplin/Greene/Wayne County AlzNC Walk. Mrs. Campbell said she was walking for her father. As of Saturday morning, $32,000 had been raised -- all of which will stay in the state.
They walked for their husband, or wife, their parents or grandparents.
Some walked for other relatives or friends, others simply walked as a show of support.
Regardless of whom they were walking for, participants in Saturday morning's 14th annual Duplin/Greene/Wayne County AlzNC Walk were there to focus attention on Alzheimer's disease and to raise funds for research.
As of Saturday morning, $32,000 had been raised -- all of which will stay in North Carolina.
The fundraiser supports research of Alzheimer's and related dementia, as well as patient and family counseling, educational conferences and workshops, and advocates for the rights of those with dementia.
Shelba Lancaster has arthritic knees, and was unable to able to walk with the Lynn's Legacy team named in memory of her late husband, Lynn Lancaster.
Lancaster, who died in June 2015, was a tobacco farmer in the Patetown-Pikeville area. He later worked at Jennings Transmission.
All nine members were related to Lancaster, including his grandson, Andrew Bass, and his wife, Anna, and their 7-month-old daughter, Emerson Lynn, who is named in memory of Lancaster.
"He got sick with the Alzheimer's and just kept getting worse," Mrs. Lancaster said. "But the other part of his health was real good. The Alzheimer's got him along with the Parkinson's also.
"I won't be able to walk, but I will help out if I am needed. We are doing it in Lynn's memory, and I think it is wonderful. We want to do to it every year from now on."
Mrs. Lancaster said she thinks the walk is a "wonderful" event.
"You hear so much about cancer and all kinds of diseases," she said. "I didn't ever know anything about Alzheimer's much until my husband got it. I have learned a lot since then."
It is the first time the group has walked in the event, Mrs. Bass said.
"We just thought we would do it in honor of him," she said. "I saw someone from my school at Eastern Wayne Elementary School who was doing it for her grandma. So I just thought that it would be good idea for us to do it for him."
The approximately one-mile walk through downtown started at 9:30 a.m. at Cornerstone Commons winding along John and Center streets.
The family groups sporting team T-shirts led the walk.
The reason to walk through downtown was so that the public could see what was going on, said Carol Lancaster, walk co-chair.
Six of the 13 teams were made up of families of Alzheimer's patients they are caring for or who are in a health care facility, she said.
Family teams is a trend that local organizers have been encouraging.
"This morning we want to make this all about them," Carol Lancaster said. "We are out here to recognize them and support AlzNC, education, research."
The key is the family, she said.
"They are kind of opening up and talking to other people about it, saying, 'We have a family member,'" she said. "It is not something people look down at any more. So we are seeing more and more families come together for this walk, and that is what we want to see.
"We definitely want to see that. I'd say (the turnout) is about what we had last year. I think we have people coming from a little bit farther distance. We just want to make it a fun day for them and maybe give them a little bit of happiness for a while this morning."
Lisa Barker, who works at the Senior Center, co-chairs the event with Ms. Lancaster.
In addition to the one-mile walk, vendors, children's activities and information materials and resources were available prior to and after the walk.
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 in Goldsboro. For information, contact Anne Paugh at 919-759-2267.
The Senior Center offers a respite day 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.