Walk to End Alzheimer’s set for Oct. 5 at Hollywood Casino
For the second consecutive year, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Washington County will take place at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.
The event, scheduled for Oct. 5, begins at 9 a.m. with the opening ceremony set for 10 a.m. and the walk beginning shortly after.
“We are expecting around 400 people that day,” said Natalie Boyanovsky, walk manager. “We’re hoping to raise close to $100,000 toward the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia. All of the funds raised go directly toward research, care and support options for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”
Among those planning to walk is Susan Faieta of Brownsville, who has been participating since 2018.
Her mother, Patricia Novak of Hickory, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017, eventually passing away in 2021 at the age of 81.
“In 2018, I took her to the walk,” Faieta recalled. “We didn’t have a team. We just signed up and we went. It was pretty memorable. She kind of knew what was going on but had a little confusion.”
Since then, Faieta has been a regular participant with her team of mostly family members, Patty’s Pals, in honor of her mother.
“I just kept it going,” Faieta said. “My goal is to keep doing it to either find a cure or to just remember her. There is always that fear that you’re going to get it. It wasn’t quick enough for my mom to find a cure, but hopefully by raising funds and research that if I do develop it, there will be some type of cure or something that will slow it down. It saddens me sometimes because I lost my mom, but this is a nice way to remember her.”
Patty’s Pals had raised $979.05 as of Sept. 12, just shy of Faieta’s annual goal of about $1,000.
“Every little bit helps,” Faieta said. “It’s really a nice morning. The atmosphere is great.”
Nearly 7 million are living with Alzhiemer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. And more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. In Pennsylvania, more than 282,000 people are living with the disease with more than 465,000 caregivers.
As of Sept. 12, 168 participants and 35 teams had registered to participate and $49,181 of the goal of $95,000 had been raised.
One of the most poignant moments is the Promise Garden ceremony, during which walkers carry flowers of various colors, with each color representing their personal connection to the disease. Blue represents someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia; purple, for those who have lost someone to the disease; yellow, for someone who is supporting or caring for someone living with the disease, and orange represents those who support the cause and represent the associations, vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. There also will be a white flower, symbolic of the first survivor of the disease. The white flower will be carried by Fiona Hincy, daughter of committee member April Hincy.
“We usually choose a kid to hold the white flower because it represents hope for the future,” Boyanovsky said.
Boyanovsky said this is a pivotal time in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Since 2021, the Food and Drug Administration has approved three separate drugs for treatments of the disease.
“We’ve had a lot of major breakthroughs in the past couple of years,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of medications and treatments come out for those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Right now, those treatments work best for people who are diagnosed in the early stages. We still need to do a lot of research to figure out how to treat those who are in the later stages or even create preventative medicine.”
Boyanovsky said the casino, which donates about $20,000 each year to the cause, proved to be a great host in 2023.
“I’m really happy to partner with them,” she said. “What they’re doing really means a lot. They really care about this and care about putting on a great event.”
Other activities planned for Oct. 5 include a balloon artist, music, food trucks, a kids zone and the appearance of one of the ponies from The Meadows.
“It’s going to be a really fun day,” Boyanovsky said. “We work hard to make it a fun and family-friendly event. We want people to enjoy themselves. Obviously, the topic at hand can be a pretty heavy one for a lot of folks, but the point really is, we’re in this together in the fight against Alzheimer’s.”
To register for the walk, visit alz.org/walk. But pre-registration is not necessary and can be done the day of the event, which is free to attend. Donations can be made that day with cash or check and also at act.alz.org/washington or by mailing the donation to Washington Walk to End Alzheimer’s, 2595 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg, Pa. 17110.