People in Grande Prairie are being encouraged to tie on their running shoes in support of those battling Alzheimer’s. The fifth annual IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s is set to take place in the city on June 15th.
Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories Regional Lead Jennifer Simms says the walk is important because it’s the society’s main source of funding for its programs.
“As of last year, 77 per cent of our revenue actually came from the generosity of our donors. Having walks like this in our area helps build awareness and also raise funds for those programs and services we want to be able to offer our families free of charge.”
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. Currently, there are 200 families in the Grande Prairie area who are using some of the society’s services like support groups and referral programs.
Simms is hoping that by holding the walk they can entice more people to come forward if they are in need.
“In Alberta, there’s about 45,000 Albertans that are currently living with some kind of dementia. With our area, we know that there’s lots of families that are being affected and we’d like to be able to support them as best as possible.”
The walk will be held at Muskoseepi Park on June 15th at noon. People are able to register online until June 14th but can also register at the park on the day of the event.