OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — More than 34,000 people in the state of Nebraska are living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. You have a chance to help the folks that are fighting the disease this weekend.
The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter’s Omaha and Sarpy County ‘Walks to End Alzheimer's’ are set to return in-person this weekend, after the annual event was forced to go virtual a year ago.
The Omaha walk takes place Saturday, October 16th at Stinson Park in Aksarben. The Sarpy walk will happen on Sunday, October 17th at the Prairie Queen Recreation Area.
Registration will start for both walks at 8:30 a.m., with the opening ceremony following at 9:30 a.m.
Feet start hitting the pavement at 10 a.m. for the walk itself. Participants will have the option to go on the short walk or the longer walk.
The virtual option is also still available for those who wish to do so.
Sponsors of the event contribute to the cause, but the largest amount comes from the participants themselves.
“The walk is free. You don’t have to pay for it or anything like that, but when you sign up you start a fundraising page,” Omaha and Sarpy Walk Manager John Day said. “That fundraising page can connect to social media and it’s an easy way for us to raise funds individually, but it also just helps us reach that further outreach of audience.”
There are over 850 participants already signed up for the Omaha walk. They have combined to raise more than $195,000 for Alzheimer's awareness and research.
The main goal is to raise money for research into the disease and for resources for families, but also to raise awareness about a disease that doesn't always get the attention it deserves.
“There’s still that stigma, it’s just not talked about as much. So, I think these events create that awareness and create that community of, ‘Hey, we’re all going through this together, maybe we can help spread the word and spread the awareness so we can attack this thing early,’ and help people find those avenues. Find those support groups,” Day said.
KMTV 3 News Now is a proud sponsor of the event.
To sign up and begin fundraising, or to learn more about the walks, click here.
