Wednesday, October 8, 2003
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Wednesday, October 8, 2003 |
| Walk
to combat Alzheimer's set for Saturday
By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Chances are you know someone with Alzheimer's disease. In fact, it is estimated that four million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and that 37 million Americans know someone with the disease. Alzheimer's makes both the person afflicted and the people who love them feel helpless, mainly because currently, there is no cure. But there is something that you can do to help: walk in the Southern Crescent Alzheimer's Memory Walk this Saturday. The walk, which started in 2000, has grown significantly over the years. In the first year of the walk, over $73,000 was raised by individuals, teams and corporate sponsors. Last year, over 1,000 people participated in the walk raising $148,000. The money raised goes towards research to find a cure as well as towards educational programs, financial assistance, personalized counseling and support groups. The walk is a 5K and people are free to run the course, which starts at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, follows the cart paths along McIntosh Trail, over Peachtree Parkway, and then back towards the amphitheater. Registration is from 8-9:30 a.m. and after registering for the walk, participants can enjoy a complimentary breakfast and the sounds of the Peachtree Jazz Edition. The 5K run will start at 9:15 a.m. and the walk will begin 15 minutes later. There will be water stations every mile and golf carts that can escort participants back if they feel they can't make it the entire way. After the walk, the Peachtree City Kiwanis will cook up some free hotdogs and hamburgers for the participants. Winners of the drawings will be announced, as will a final tally of the money raised for this year's walk. There is still time to join the walk and help raise money to combat this terrible disease. For more information, visit www.southernmemorywalk.org.
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