MERIDIAN, Idaho — More than six million people live with Alzheimer's in America and between 2019 and 2020 the number of people with this debilitating disease rose by 145 percent.
The Treasure Valley Walk to End Alzheimer's continues their efforts to raise money for research to fight back against this disease and the walk happens on Saturday from ten to noon at Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian.
So far this year $142, 844 has been raised for the cause and that is nearly two-thirds of the goal as the Walk to end Alzheimer's Treasure Valley hopes to raise $225,000.
"We are about 62 percent of the way there which is amazing the community is so supportive of this and we appreciate it so much," said Alix Hilton. "We do have a little ways to go and I do think we are going to see that number increase over the next week as the walk is just around the corner."
The walk on Saturday will include different color flowers with each one representing a different fight against Alzheimer's and dementia.
The blue flowers are for people who live with Alzheimer's or dementia, the purple represents people who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease, yellow represents the caregivers and orange is for advocates who believe in the cause, and there will be one white flower.
"Which is the flower of hope and so that is for the first survivor," said Hilton. "So hopefully we add those white flowers to our garden one day meaning that we find the cure and end this disease."
I will have a purple flower as I watched my grandma suffer from Alzheimer's before it took her life, it was really difficult to watch her deal with this debilitating disease, our news director, J Bates experienced it with his father.
"You know it is kind of like losing someone twice that person isn’t who they remember them being growing up and eventually they pass from this disease," said Hilton. "It’s just truly devastating, unfortunately, the numbers are going up for Alzheimer’s and dementia, lets put money into research and fight for this disease so no other family has to go through it, so we don't have to go through it and generations behind us don't have to go through it."
The walk does have some COVID-19 protocols as people are asked to be vaccinated or wear a mask during the walk, people who have concerns about the coronavirus can also do a virtual walk like they did a year ago.
People have until the end of the year to donate to the cause, there will be an opportunity at the walk or donations are accepted online.
