A carwash and barbecue fundraiser will help “The Walk to End Alzheimer’s” on Friday, Sept. 15, at 312 Cullens St. in Yelm. The walk itself will be held on Sept. 16 at Heritage Park in Olympia.
In Yelm, people can get their car washed for $5 and also get a hot dog, chips and a soda for another $5. People can also pie a manager of their choice in the face for a donation of $5.
The car wash begins at noon, while the barbecue will start at 4 p.m. Money raised will go for research and advancement in the battle against Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, and, currently, 6 million Americans are living with the disease. It kills more than breast and prostate cancer combined, and Alzheimer’s deaths have doubled from 2000 to 2019. In 2023, Alzheimer’s will cost the United States $345 billion, which is expected to rise to $1 trillion in 2050.
More than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
“We honor those who suffer with and remember those we have lost,” Yelm’s Easthaven Villa Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility Life Enrichment Coordinator Kelley Mohon said.
So far, South Sound communities have come together to raise awareness, with 201 participants at the walk and 43 teams in total.
“We have already received almost half of our $80,000 goal,” Mohon said.
Registration is at 10 a.m. for the walk itself, and a ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Heritage Park is located at Fifth Avenue Southwest and Water Street Southwest in Olympia. For more information, call 206-529-3861, or email southsoundwalk@alz.org.
The walk is held in more than 600 communities nationwide and is the world’s largest event to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
