Why I Walk

2017 Walk To End Alzheimer’s Training Summit Mission Moment – Harrisburg PA

I was asked to speak to you today on why I do the Walk to End Alzheimer’s events. When I first considering walking it was part of my desire to do everything I could to raise funds for a cure as I am 52 and living with Alzheimer’s disease. Then Claire Day, whom some of you may know, asked me to speak at many of the walks in NJ as well during the promise garden ceremony. Naturally, I was very happy to help and lend my voice.

Durring my speeches as looked out over the crowd, the thing that was striking was the sea of purple flowers. There was a presence of yellow and orange and very few blue flowers if at all. But it was the purple that stood out to me. All the colors are important mind you, none is more or less important but there is a certain significance to the purple.

The people with the purple flowers are there to honor the memories of loved ones they have lost and the sacrifices they made during their loved ones battle to the end. But there is more to it for many you see. For many of them they have decided they have more skin in the game. For many of the people holding the purple flowers have committed themselves to walking and fighting for others, the ones with the yellow, orange and blue flowers who are living and fighting with Alzheimer’s.

To me this is heroic and amazing, this is the definition of hope. We walk for hope because we know that we still do not have a cure or a way to slow the progression of this disease. The hope is we unify as a singular massive empowered voice to continue to relentlessly fight this relentless disease.

We are here as volunteers preparing to give our sweat, tears and sometimes blood to make the Walk To End Alzheimer’s events, each one, rain or shine, warm or cold, events that are memorable, fun, exciting, encouraging, loving, safe and above all else hopeful.

So, as you prepare this season, as we’re doing here today, for the upcoming walks which will be here before you know it, continuously remind yourselves that it is not the guarantee of what is certain but the hope of what we desire that will give us the endurance to Walk To the End of Alzheimer’s.

Thanks you and God bless.