Walk to End Alzheimer’s coming Saturday

MOSES LAKE — There will be more purple shirts and multicolored flowers on the streets of Moses Lake Saturday at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s than ever before, according to Julie Reathaford, who manages the event. 

“It’s really grown,” Reathaford said. “Last year we had the biggest walk ever, as far as the amount of participants that we had come. This year we're expecting more participants, 250-plus, and last year we had just over 180. We have more sponsors this year and generally more community involvement and awareness.” 

The Moses Lake Walk to End Alzheimer’s takes place Saturday, alongside three other Moses Lake events: Art on Third, Sip & Stroll and the Care Fair. That’s by design, Reathaford said, because people who are already out for one event are likely to come to another as well. 

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place at McCosh Park with entertainment on the Centennial Amphitheater stage and sponsors with informational booths. The event starts with the Flower Ceremony, in which people will receive flowers to show how they’re affected by Alzheimer’s. 

“The four colors of our flowers mean something different,” Reathaford said. “Our purple flower means that you've lost someone from dementia or Alzheimer's, and our blue flower means that you are experiencing Alzheimer's or dementia. Our yellow flower is our caregiver’s flower … and orange means that you're a supporter of the cause.” 

The walk itself is a 2-mile loop through downtown Moses Lake, with wheelchairs available for those who have trouble making the trip on foot. Strollers and well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, bt skateboards and bikes should be left at home. 

Money from the walk goes toward research into treatment and ultimately a cure for dementia, Reathaford said. The money raised last year — more than $24,000 of it from Moses Lake — helped fund research that resulted in two promising new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s by slowing the progress of the disease. 

This is the 11th year the Walk to End Alzheimer’s has taken place in Moses Lake, according to Columbia Basin Herald archives. Moses Lake is an especially friendly community for events like this one, Reathaford said. 

“It really is a community event,” she said. “If you come down to the walk, my guess is you're going to know people there. You're going to see people that you know, or you'll have friends there, and you'll really see the scope of what Alzheimer's has done to the Moses Lake community.” 

Walk to End Alzheimer’s 

Moses Lake 

McCosh Park 

Sept. 13 

Registration 9 a.m. 

Flower Ceremony 10 a.m. 

Walk 10:30 a.m. 

Info: ACT.ALZ.org/moseslake 

    A child checks out some of the flowers that will be given to people dealing with various aspects of dementia at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Saturday.