APPLETON (NBC 26) — Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest fundraiser for Alzheimer's research. The annual event is coming to the Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton on October 1st.
This June, in honor of Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness month, local businesses in the Fox Valley are raising money for the Alzheimer's Association and creating awareness for the event.
“I think this is a disease that kind of affects everybody at some degree at some point in our life," said Dawn Ebert, the co-owner of Simple Simon Bakery in Appleton.
Simple Simon Bakery is donating $1 for the sale of every one of their signature sugar cookies. The bakery created a special purple daisy cookie specifically for the event. Ebert says their goal is to raise $500 and they're already halfway there.
"People in the valley here just come from all over for our sugar cookies," Ebert said. "We do them in different shapes and different seasons so I thought what better way than to do our sugar cookies to help support the walk.”
In Neenah, Pamela Barnes, the owner of XE 54 wine bar created a specialty drink called 'the purple impact' in honor of the event. The wine bar is donating $2 for every drink purchased.
"It is vodka-based with some curacao and juices, topped off with a lemon and of course a purple gummy bear,” Barnes said.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. In the United States alone, more than 6 million people have Alzheimer’s and over 11 million are providing unpaid care. Barnes is one of many whose life was touched by the disease.
“I am one of many that have a family member that has suffered and passed away from Alzheimer’s, my grandfather, and it was really difficult,” Barnes said.
She says the walk gives people like her a community of support - and hope of one day ending the ending the disease.
“It just feels so awesome to be surrounded by other people so it’s very supportive in that respect," Barnes said. "So if there’s anything I can do to help that cause, I’m all for it.”
To learn more about the event or register for the walk, you can visit act.alz.org.
