BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Around 1,500 people made their way around ArtsQuest Saturday morning to end Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects millions of people in the US alone.<\/p>\n
It was a beautiful day to try to help end the horrible disease.<\/p>\n
“Dementia and Alzheimer’s really does touch all people’s lives. There’s no one demographic, so this is literally a special day in the Lehigh Valley,\u201d said Tara Curtin, who helped organize the walk.<\/p>\n
The walk benefits the Alzheimer’s Association. According to the organization, an estimated 7.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Dementia.<\/p>\n
Lee Ann Kirner lost her husband to the disease in 2023 and now pours her heart and soul into the organization.<\/p>\n
“Our goal is a world without Alzheimer’s and dementia and for there to be a cure,” she said.<\/p>\n
With hundreds of thousands raised, walkers made their way around the ArtsQuest campus with flowers in hand.<\/p>\n
“The flowers depict who you’re walking for, so all the flowers have a color and special meaning,” explained Kirner.<\/p>\n
“If it’s a yellow flower, it’s for caregivers; if it’s an orange flower, you support the cause; a purple flower is for those we’ve lost to Alzheimer’s and the blue is for those who are already diagnosed,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
The walk was not just about finding a cure; it’s also about spreading education on the importance of taking care of your brain, and for those going through it, knowing there’s a community to help.<\/p>\n
“People with dementia and Alzheimer’s often want to keep that private and can suffer alone,\u201d said Paul Geller, the executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of the Southeastern PA Chapter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who are caring for their loved ones are in a very difficult spot as well, so to be part of the community and that support and have people connect with each other – that’s what we’re trying to do,\u201d Geller added.<\/p>\n