The community has the opportunity to help raise money and awareness this weekend for a great cause.
On Saturday Oct. 3rd there will be a Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Barton County Courthouse Square. The walk is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the 2 mile walk will start at 2 p.m. Participates can also register online at alz.org/walk
So far the Barton County Alzheimer’s Association has been raised $5,815, the goal is to reach $9,450. This is 61 percent of the goal.
This walk has 14 teams participating and 103 walkers so far. The association is still looking for more people to join the walk.
The top five teams that have raised the most money to date include: Gladys’ Gladiators raised $315, “Weis” Beyond Our Years raised $200. Nairn Family raised $200, Schartz Clan raised $125, and Grandma’s Angels raised $110.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the nations largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

Alzheimer’s
According to www.alz.org, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40’s or 50’s.
Alzheimer’s worsens over time. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer’s treatments cannot stop Alzheimer’s from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.
For more information about the walk email Missy Pflughoeft at mpflughoeft@countryplaceliving.com.