The petals of bright fabric flowers twirled in the breeze as people gathered in the courthouse square Saturday afternoon. Missy Pflughoeft, co-chairman of Barton County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, said the colors in the “Promise Garden” had distinct meanings.
A person carrying a blue flower has Alzheimer’s or dementia, a person with a yellow flower is supporting or caring for someone with dementia. Orange means, “I support the cause of the Alzheimer’s Association.”
And purple represents someone who has lost someone to the disease.
For this garden, however, 2-year-old Owen Koch was asked to hold up a single white flower as a symbol of hope. The goal of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a world without Alzheimer’s, sponsors explained.

“This is a fight we can win,” said Denise Vann, outreach coordinator.

Saturday’s event was sponsored by the Central & Western Kansas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, but the speakers included Stacy Tew-Lovasz, formerly of Great Bend, who is now president of the association’s Greater Missouri Chapter in St. Louis. She’s also Region 6 leader for Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
“I’m here to say thank you for raising awareness and funds,” Tew-Lovasz told the volunteers who would soon begin walking for the cause.
“You are providing help today for over 52,000 people in Kansas, and hope for tomorrow with research and education,” she said. “We need to do something about this disease.”

There are more than 5 million people nationwide living with Alzheimer’s, and someone develops Alzheimer's every 66 seconds.
The walk featured a bounce house, face painting and Nex-Tech train rides for the children. Great Bend High School student Annelly Valdevinos sang “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Walk to End Alzheimer’s is an annual event nationwide. Pflughhoeft, who is also director of Country Place Senior Living in Hoisington, said the walk in Great Bend has grown every year. Her hope is that more people will get involved.
“That’s the only way that we’re going to make a difference,” she said. “We’re nowhere near being able to prevent Alzheimer’s.”

Ending Alzheimer’s disease

• The Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour help line, 800-272-3900.
• In Great Bend, an Alzheimer’s support group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at Trinity United Methodist Church, 5700 Broadway Ave.
• To learn how to join the cause by staying informed, becoming an advocate or making a donation, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website, alz.org/cwkansas