The morning of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Pacific Northwest started in typical Seattle fashion: Despite a weather forecast promising 80 degrees and sunshine, we were greeted with cloudy, gray skies. Fortunately, just when we thought it would remain cloudy, the sun made its promised appearance in time for the walk to start.
This is the fourth year that SeniorHomes.com has participated in this annual cause, and we had a great turnout of 
employees who came out on Saturday morning. Many of us there on Saturday also walked last year, and it seemed to us as though more walkers participated this year. The Alzheimer’s Assocation reported the final tally for this year’s walk to be 1,436 walkers.
There were many others within the senior living industry who came out in support of ending Alzheimer’s including Choice Advisory Services, ERA Living and Merrill Gardens at First Hill. Together, the 204 teams and 1,436 walkers raised $325,673.23.
This event wasn’t like the 5K walks which I usually participate in, where people participate with the intent of having fun; on this walk, people participated for the purpose of bringing awareness to this disease. That’s not to say there weren’t purple boas or a few costumes, but the walk for me was bittersweet, seeing flowers bearing names of people with Alzheimer’s or participants wearing shirts with pictures of deceased loved ones.
As someone whose family hasn’t experienced the tragic effects of Alzheimer’s, the walk made the disease real and reinforced the need for more funding to bring an end to it.
If you are interested in joining a walk, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website to find a walk near you. Even though the walk just ended, we at SeniorHomes.com know we’ll be participating again once September 2015 rolls around!
Written by SeniorHomes.com’s Andrea Watts.