This past weekend, myself, and more than seven thousand other smiling faces, got the chance to walk two miles, taking steps towards something so much greater than each of us. The national fundraising effort, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, came to Philadelphia on Saturday, in order to raise awareness and support for all those affected by this terrible disease. The event acted as a common thread for thousands of individuals with diverse reasons for walking, symbolized through the color of the flower they proudly carried; Blue for those battling Alzheimer’s, Purple for those who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s, Yellow for caregivers, and Orange for advocates. For those of you who were unable to attend, I would like to provide you the opportunity to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease now, because the importance of this absolutely did not end at the Walk’s finish line. 1. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the only in the top ten that cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured.
2. In the United States someone develops Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds.
3. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women.
4. There are more than 15.9 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States, those of which provided a total of 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care that had an estimated value of $221.3 billion in 2015.
5. In 2016, Alzheimer’s will cost the United States $236 billion
In total, the participants of the 2016 Philadelphia Walk to End Alzheimer’s raised just under $1,200,000! This money will be put towards advancements in medical research, advocacy efforts, and care and support for all those affected. The TCNJ community can be extremely proud of their own Sigma Kappa chapter here on campus, as these girls joined together to raise $9,700 towards the philanthropy so near and dear to their hearts, putting them in the top 15 fundraising teams for their remarkable donation to the cause. I highly encourage everyone to join in on this amazing event next year, because “the heart remembers what the mind forgets”.