The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s was hosted at Bridgeport Park. The walkers started at 9:30 a.m. on their two-mile course on Saturday, Oct. 7. All money raised will be used to fund research and provide support for those struggling with the disease.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a charity walk created by the Alzheimer’s Association, a non-profit organization providing assistance, education and support for those with Alzheimer’s or supporters wanting to learn more about it. The first Walk to End Alzheimer’s held in Santa Clarita was in 2012, making this year the 11th annual walk. Over the span of 600 communities, these walks are the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research, care and aid, according to the Alzheimer’s Association website.
Kristi Eckard, the chair of the 2023 Santa Clarita walk, explained, “We have a committee of about 20 volunteers. We start planning in spring [because] it takes that long to pull something like this together. We have a lot of sponsors to help us with funding.”
The charity event featured many booths for participants to learn more from the sponsors, including UCLA Health, Oakmont Senior Living, College of the Canyons, Mellady Direct Marketing and The Good Feet Store.
Some walkers had a personal connection to the disease. Sierra Hernandez, a member of the Buenos Dias walking team, expressed, “My uncle lost his dad about two years ago to Alzheimer’s, and so we’re here to support him and his legacy.” She added, “This is our second time doing [the walk], and we’ll be doing it every year.”
Victory Martial Arts opened the event with a performance, where they showcased their combat skills, acrobatics and defense with weapons. Gavin Espinosa, a manager and Master at Victory Martial Arts Stevenson Ranch, stated, “We’re hoping we can inspire our own community that are all a part of this Alzheimer’s walk. [We want] everyone to know there needs to be a bigger awareness of serving the community.”
After the performance, the walk committee introduced the event and explained its purpose. Host Brian Keggly talked about how the money raised during the walk will be used to “[accelerate] global research, [drive] risk reduction, [enable] early detection and [maximize] the quality of care and support.” Eckard also spoke at the podium. She explained, “Our common goal is a world without Alzheimer’s or dementia.” She added, “[The Alzheimer’s Association] is making a lot of progress. Last year, we talked about a breakthrough drug [called] Lecanemab. It is medication proven to slow the progression of the disease by 30 percent.”
Another important element of the walk were the decorations. Each aspect of the fundraiser had unique symbolism from the color choice to the decorations. In the middle of the event was a garden with large letters that read “END ALZ.” In front of the words were faux flowers, which were placed by attendees and participants. The Walk to End Alzheimers’ website elaborated on how each color represented a relation to Alzheimer’s. Blue represents someone living with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, while purple signifies a person that had lost someone to the disease. Yellow symbolizes somebody who currently cares and assists someone with Alzheimer’s. Finally, orange showed someone who supports the cause and vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Keggly additionally explained during the ceremony what a white flower symbolized: “The first survivor of Alzheimer’s. We fight so that the [young] generation will only know survivors.”
The financial goal for this year’s walk was $155,000. The fundraiser not only met the goal, but surpassed it by over $4,000.
