Like many of the 2,000 participants in the second annual Alzheimer’s Family Support Walk on Saturday, state Rep. Marlene O’Toole, R-The Villages, and Sumter County Sheriff William Farmer were personally touched by the disease.
O’Toole, who served as honorary chairwoman of the event, said her neighbor, Grace, had Alzheimer’s before she died and Farmer, event chairman, said his mother had Alzheimer’s for six years.
“I’ve had other friends in the county and their families affected by it,” Farmer said. “It’s a good cause.”
O’Toole said she came from Tallahassee on Friday to attend the walk and would return on Sunday to the state capitol She said the numbers indicate that Alzheimer’s Disease will continue to be widespread.
“We’re going to get it,” she said. “Some of us are going to be affected by this disease.”
The walk, called “We Walk Because We Care,” raised money for the Alzheimer’s Family Organization, which provides respite care and assistance for support groups of Alzheimer’s caregivers. Walkers gave donations of $15 to $20 each and circled the polo fields in either quarter-mile or 1 ½-mile walks.
Despite the negative aspects of the disease, the walk was a celebration with clowns, the Villages Cheerleaders, music, entertainment, refreshments and balloons. Health care organizations staffed information booths and each walker was given a commemorative T-shirt.
Some walkers carried banners or signs with the name of their group and some chose to have plaques displayed with the names of their loved ones with the disease. About 100 golf carts escorted O’Toole and Farmer in a parade to the event.
People with Alzheimer’s Disease have plaque that forms on their brains, which interferes with cognitive functions and causes dementia. Symptoms can include forgetting family birthdays or anniversaries, inability to use everyday appliances like TV remotes or failing to remember the names of common objects. Alzheimer’s patients eventually lost the ability to speak and to recognize family members.
About 13 percent of people over 65 and 48 percent of those over 80 will get the disease. A new case is diagnosed every 68 seconds, but at least half of the cases never are diagnosed. The area of Lake, Sumter and Marion counties has an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 cases.
The stress is so great for caregivers, often family members, that most caregivers die before the Alzheimer’s patients.
Last year’s walk had about 1,200 participants and raised about $30,000. This year, more than 30 sponsors pledged donations of $250 to $5,000 or more. Diamond-level sponsors who pledged at least $5,000 include Honda of Ocala, Parady Financial, Serenades by Sonata, Sumter Place and USF Health in the Villages.
Freedom Pointe fielded the largest team of walkers.
Besides the money raised to help caregivers, O’Toole said it’s also important to support Alzheimer’s research.
“Hopefully, this hideous disease is getting enough research dollars that we can find a cure,” she said.
To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Family Organization, follow the link below:
