Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2015 UCW 11 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Alzheimer's Walk: A Fun Event to Fight a Horrible Disease by ERINN CRIDER W hile people don't like to t alk about t he agony of watching someone t hey love suf fer, it happens — a lot . A lzheimer 's is an especially brut al illness because it steals t he ver y essence of who you are. A lzheimer 's is a t y pe of dement ia. It af fect s memor y, t hink ing and even behav ior. It can be hard to spot at f irst and t he sy mptoms usually develop slowly. In fact, t he brain st ar t s chang- ing years before any sy mptoms appear. Once someone is diagnosed w it h A lzheimer 's, t here are t hree st ages: mild, moderate and severe. Many people consider it a disease t hat only af fec t s t he elderly; while many senior cit i- zens do develop A lzheimer 's, it is not a normal par t of aging. Once someone is diagnosed, t hey live, on average, four to eight years. A lzheimer 's is t he six t h leading cause of deat h in t he U. S. and is t he only one of t he top 10 causes t hat cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. Close to t wo-t hirds of American's w it h A lzheimer 's are women. Doctors and researchers are work ing towards a cure, t hough. Because of it s progres- sive nat ure, t ime is of t he essence. Sept . 12 of fers an oppor t unit y to make a dif ference. The 2015 Walk to End A lzheimer 's opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at t he home of t he SwampDogs, J.P. R iddle St adium, k now n af fec- t ionately to many as The Swamp. The f unds raised at t his event w ill go to sup- por t t he A lzheimer 's A ssociat ion. Founded in 1980, t he A lzheimer 's A ssociat ion's mission is to eliminate A lzheimer 's disease t hrough t he advancement of research; to prov ide and enhance care and suppor t for all af fec ted; and to reduce t he risk of dement ia t hrough promo- t ion of brain healt h. McKee Homes, a long-t ime A lzheimer A ssociat ion advocate, has planned an event t hat is sure to be a good t ime as well as one t hat w ill make a dif ference in count less lives. Julie Russo, co-chair for t he event, is look ing for a great t urn out . " We've got a lot going on during regist rat ion, which st ar t s at 9 a.m.," she said. " We have Pine Forest High School Band coming to perform. Fayet tev ille Champions for t he Children w ill be t here, too. They dress up in superhero cost umes and paint people's faces. Victoria Huggins, t he second runner up for Miss Nor t h Carolina, w ill be t here, too. She is also going to sing t he "Nat ional Ant hem"." Russo noted t hat t here w ill be plent y of chil- dren's games and ot her ac t iv it ies as well. "There is just a shor t w indow of t ime to enjoy t his t hough, because t he opening ceremony st ar t s at 10 a.m.." The ceremony feat ures t he four faces of people af fected by A lzheimer 's: someone who has A lzheimer 's and is current ly liv ing w it h it; someone who cares for someone w it h A lzheimer 's; someone who has lost a loved one to A lzheimer 's; and someone who has no experi- ence w it h t he disease, but is an advocate for t he cause. They each w rite a narrat ive t hat is read by t he emcee. " We want it to be uplif t ing and to let people k now t hat it is okay to t alk about it . It 's okay to be uncomfor t able but we need to t alk about it," said Russo. "People are liv ing w it h A lzheimer 's and managing it and it is okay for people to see what t hat look s like." Unlike ot her walk s, t his one is less t han a mile and t hat is by design. The event organizers wanted to make sure t hat ever yone would be able to par t icipate and f inish t he walk . "The event is more about coming together and not as much about the walking," said Russo. "The ceremony happens, then everyone gets a f lower that represents one of the four speakers." " We have a promise garden and t he at tendees plant t he f lowers before t he walk st ar t s. So at t he end of t he walk, t hey come around and see t he f lowers in t he promise garden." The walk concludes w it h recognit ion of t he number of walkers t hat at tended and an account ing of t he money t hat was raised. "Then we end w it h t he " Wobble Baby." It is a line dance," said Russo. Walkers can t urn in t heir money on Friday, Sept . 11 f rom 4-6 p.m. during Bank Night at The Swamp. Anyone who raises more t han $100 w ill receive a T-shir t . Register online at alz.org or on t he day of t he event . The Alzheimer's Walk, scheduled for Sept. 12, is short by design so that people of all health and fitness levels can participate and enjoy the walk. The Pine Forest Band joins the fun at The Swamp to entertain walkers before they begin. STEPHANIE CRIDER. Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910.484.6200.