Walk to End Alzheimer's event in Dallas raises more than $500,000
DALLAS - Across the country, communities are taking part in the Walk to End Alzheimer's.
One was held in Dallas Saturday morning. Thousands of people came to join the fight against the disease.
All were walking for the same cause; to end Alzheimer's. But each person had their own reason.
"This is the fourth year we're walking in memory of my dad, who we did lose to Alzheimer's," said Wanda Walker Osborne.
Osborne made a banner with her family to express their love.
"Everybody had a chance to put their fingerprints on here,” she said. “We just wanted to make sure we played a part, so we put our names on. We've got the little kids’ names. We put their months on there."
Nine thousand people took part in the Walk to End Alzheimer's event at Dallas City Hall that kicked off at 9 a.m.
Fox 4's Hannah Battah was the emcee, highlighting some of the people who have been affected by the disease.
Everyone who walked was holding a flower because it represented different things.
Blue meant that they have Alzheimer's. Yellow was for those who support someone who has Alzheimer's. Orange was for those who were supporting the cause, and then personal flowers meant that they support somebody who has died from Alzheimer's.
Over $500,000 was raised at the Dallas walk.
It will go toward research, care, and support, which is needed.
North Texas researchers were even at the event to explain their efforts.
"How we're enabling people to protect their brain. How we're enabling doctors like me to diagnose Alzheimer's better, and hopefully to treat,” said Dr. Mary Quiceno. “We really want people to support us, sign up for trial match, volunteer, advocate. That's how we're going to find that first survivor."
The event gives people a better understanding of the disease and how to fight it, besides providing hope.
“My ultimate hope for research is that they do find a cure because it could be my father one day, it could be my mother one day, or myself, or my children,” Courtney Rose said. “I don’t want anyone else to suffer the way I watched my grandmother suffer, or I watched my grandfather suffer. So I hope that they do find a cure."