The parking lots outside Brock University are normally empty on the weekends, but on Sunday it was hard to find a spot close to the main building as hundreds came out for the annual IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimers.
It is the 16th year that the Alzheimer Society of Niagara along with community partners put on the indoor-walk that features performances, speeches and a health fair.
“What a fabulous turnout”, said society CEO Teena Kindt.
“Our goal was to raise $125 000 and I think we exceeded that today”, she continued as dancers from St Catharines-based Tara’s School of Highland Dance performed gravity-defying choreography in the entrance hall.
In the long line of walkers, led by two highland pipers, were veteran attendees Katrina Stuppiello with family, who have been in the walk each year since the start.
She knows the face of Alzhemiers far too well after her grandfather passed away from the disease 20 years ago.
“It hit him in 1982. He went from being very active and personable to not recognizing his grandkids. It led him to become less social. All our lives changed”, she said.
Now she is a part of the many hundreds raising awareness and pushing for more research into the degenerative brain disorder.
But the walk serves a healing purpose for her as well.
“It’s good to come together with other people and share stories with those who have gone through the same thing”.
In the parade were also dogs, a Disney princess and representatives from the Dark Empire, escorted by three Stormtroopers.
Across the country around 400 similar walks are put on each year.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia that affects 1.1 million Canadians, with 25,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
As the average life expectancy increases, advocates have been making calls for “increased urgency” into research for a cure.
Alzheimer Society of Niagara CEO Teena Kindt said Sundays turnout at Brock gives hope and comfort as volunteers and attendees made the event come together.
“It is not just a disease that affects seniors. It touches entire families”, she said.
More information is available on https://alzheimer.ca/en/niagara
