More than six million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, which is a leading cause of death in the nation. More than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
The Alzheimer’s Association will hold the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Oct. 23,at the Enterprise Center.
“In honor of her name, I wanted to do something, so I could find a way or connection to help out not only her legacy, but people in the future with this disease; I’m helping in any way that I can to find a cure,” Samuel Boyd IV said.
Samuel Boyd IV has attended the Alzheimer’s Association Walk for four years. He reached out to get involved with the organization after a close family member passed away from dementia.
“My connection to the Walk is my grandmother named Mary L. Watson, who is my grandmother on my mother’s side. She passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2017, which was four years ago,” Boyd said.
When asked how he decided to get involved with the organization, Boyd talked about his relationship with his grandmother and how it shaped his view of Alzheimer’s.
“We were really close, and seeing the impact of this disease caused me to be concerned,” Boyd said. “I didn’t know how dementia could take a toll on somebody until I saw what happened to her.”
Boyd chose to get actively involved with the organization this year.
“I am on the family and friends committee with the Greater St. Louis area in addition to the Walk committee,” Boyd said.
Boyd’s duties include reaching out to people with ties to Alzheimer’s or businesses to see if they would like to contribute to the cause or participate in the event.
“We also get in contact with old team members to see if they want to reactivate their team to participate in the Walk, in addition to contacting anyone who is new and has a connection to Alzheimer’s,” he said.
Boyd talked about how he wanted to make a difference and help find a cure for Alzheimer’s in his own way.
“In honor of her name, I wanted to do something, so I could find a way or connection to help out not only her legacy but people in the future with this disease. I’m helping in any way that I can to find a cure,” he said. “I’m not a scientist, so I can’t find a cure in a lab myself, but what I can help with is raising money to get the ball rolling for people who are able to do something in this research field to figure out a solution to this problem.”
At the Walk, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony, a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease.
The colors of the Promise Garden flowers represent people’s connection to Alzheimer’s; their personal reasons to end the disease.
While plans move forward to host the St. Louis Walk in person, the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers remain the top priorities, according to a statement from the Alzheimer’s Association.
The statement says the St. Louis Walk will implement safety protocols including physical distancing, masks, contactless registration, and hand sanitizing station.
CDC, state, and local guidelines will be adhered to ensure Walk events are safe for attendees. Options will be offered to participate online and in local neighborhoods.
