Three counties unite for the 15th annual AlzNC Walk
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 29, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Patsy West, whose mother had Alzheimer's, gives words of encouragement before the annual walk at Cornerstone Commons Saturday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Colorful papers honoring those who have Alzheimer's disease hang around Cornerstone Commons before the annual walk in downtown Goldsboro Saturday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
People participate in the annual Alzheimer's Walk Saturday morning in downtown Goldsboro.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
People participate in the annual Alzheimer's Walk Saturday morning in downtown Goldsboro.
Dementia, like Alzheimer's, is a sad disease, said Susan Peacock as she and her sons, Benjamin, 13, and Aedan, 11, waited for the start of Saturday's 15th annual AlzNC Walk.
Like many of the participants, Peacock knows first hand how the diseases affect the patient as well as the family.
Her father suffered from dementia.
"It really takes a toll on the family -- what you have to do, what you have to deal with," Benjamin said. "Just sitting there watching them suffer, it hurts."
His grandfather, Bernice Phillips, died last November.
Phillips dealt with dementia for quite some time, Peacock said.
"We know first hand how important it is to help sponsor this, help support it," she said. "We know what it takes out of the family -- not just the patient, but the family -- all of the hard work, the dedication. It is a sad disease. It is a very debilitating disease."
It is sad because the person is physically there, but not mentally, she said.
"They are not the same person," Peacock said. "But we are glad to do this so that we can honor him and hopefully one day make positive change."
The Duplin/Greene/ Wayne walk kicked off with registration at 8 a.m. at Cornerstone Commons. The opening ceremony started at 9 a.m. and the one-mile walk at 9:30 a.m.
The theme this year was "Celebration for a Cure."
Carol Lancaster and Lisa Barker have been co-chairs for the past five years.
The goal was $25,000.
"We are getting very, very close to that," Lancaster said. "I feel like we are going to make it. The money has flowed in this morning."
While the emphasis is on patients being diagnosed with related dementias, a growing prevalent need is providing support and respite to caregivers, they said.
They said they hoped the effort will serve as a reminder of the importance of education and support for families dealing with Alzheimer's disease.
The event typically attracts more than 100 walkers, Lancaster said. Many return year after year, she said.
The walk has experienced growth in the number of family groups that participate, Lancaster said.
Some are caregivers whose relative has died while others continue to care for family member suffering from the disease, she said.
"We would like for them to come out today," she said. "This is about them. This is not about raising money or what we are going to do with that money. It is to recognize them and what they give up to care for their loved ones.
"It is a very difficult job."
Gerri Shaeffer of Mar-Mac has only missed one walk in 15 years.
She has personal and professional reasons to walk.
Her late grandmother had dementia, and Shaeffer works at Goldsboro Assisted Living that has an Alzheimer's unit.
The walk is about education, making people more aware and just getting together to have a good time, she said.
"The hardest part is on the families," she said. "We see that mostly at the facility because they don't know us anyway when they come in as a resident. But it is hard when the families come in and they don't recognize them.
"A lot of times the families don't understand. I think it is important that they get more involved in stuff like this as well because they don't understand completely what is going on and why mom doesn't know who I am. It is really the hardest on them."
Before the walk started Lisa Levine, program director with Alzheimer's North Carolina, asked the crowd to say hi and wave because she wanted to take a photo of the group.
"Alzheimer's North Carolina has been around for over 30 year, but we could not do what we do without you guys," she said. "Our mission is to hold your hand as you go through this with your family.
"I have been talking to a lot of you today, and a lot of you have family members who got Alzheimer's before they were 65 -- in their 50s even. There are a lot of young folks with Alzheimer's and dementia."
She told participants that their efforts Saturday would help Alzheimer's North Carolina and their neighbors for many years to come.
The walk has generated more than $100,000 in just 15 years, she said.
"It is amazing. We are going to add a whole bunch today," Levine said. "That not only provides education and support, it also provides respite services so that caregivers like yourself can have a break when you need it.
"Today is about having a good time. Today is about celebrating life and having each other and like Carol said, being grateful for today."
Locally, there is a support group for relatives and caregivers that meets every other Thursday at the Senior Center in Goldsboro.
A free dementia caregiver workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, at the Senior Center, featuring a virtual dementia demonstration, health screenings and speakers.
For information on the walk or other AlzNC services, call the Raleigh office at 919-832-3732, Lancaster at 919-778-8664 or Lisa Barker at 919-709-8533.