The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is over but the fight never ends—local spotlight + how to help

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The Alzheimer’s Association’s biggest event of the year happened this past Sunday, October 17, with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Birmingham. With over 6 million people living with Alzheimer’s worldwide, it’s past time to eradicate it. As participants walked, they helped bring us one step closer to the cure. Here’s how you can still make a difference and see a local company that is doing just that.

Recap of the Walk Event

Birmingham’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s took place at Sloss Furnaces on Sunday, October 17. If you weren’t able to make it, here’s what you missed.

Highlights:

• Steel City Pops handed out popsicles
• Magic City Disco got everyone energized and excited with their pre-walk performance
• Elvis performed a live show with Magic City Disco as his backup dancers
• There was a promise garden flower ceremony where everyone honored who they walked for

Sad you missed out? You can always participate next year at this annual event.

Plant a Garden

At the event, each participant is given a flower. They add this flower to the Promise Garden on the day of the Walk. The garden represents the solidarity of the event, and while everyone walks together, each person does the walk for specific individuals.

There are four colors to chose from that represent your personal connection to the disease and why you participate.

Here’s what each color represents:

• Blue: someone living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia
• Purple: those who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s
• Yellow: those who are currently supporting or caring for a person living with Alzheimer’s
• Orange: if you support the cause and the Association’s vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia

Brandino Brass—a business behind the cause

Many of the teams that regularly fundraise and participate in the Walk are local businesses like Brandino Brass—a Homewood-based hardware store full of connections to the cause.

We had a chance to speak with Brandino Brass owner Buster Brandino as well as team members Renee Genereux and Megan Brasher about why the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is important to them.

Both Buster and Renee lost their mothers to Alzheimer’s. Megan lost her grandmother-in-law to the disease and her grandmother is currently going through the stages.

The team heard about the Walk years ago and immediately knew they had to get involved. Their business is now a corporate sponsor of both the Walk and Birmingham Promise Garden. You can spot them handing out flowers each year at the event.

“We love to hand out flowers for the Promise Garden. It’s that great connection of, ‘oh you’re getting a purple flower—you’ve lost someone too,’ and seeing others in the same boat. It can be very comforting for such a sad situation.”

Renee Genereux, Brandino Brass

Help this team reach their goal by donating to their Walk page.

Donate to the cause + volunteer

Although The Walk is over, there is still so much you can do to support this incredible cause. Alzheimer’s is a very real threat for all of us and a disease that has already taken so much from the people of our society.

You can donate today on their website. Your donations will not only help fund the research to find a cure but provide care and support to current people suffering from the disease.

Want to help out with the Alabama Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in a hands-on way? Read more about how you can get involved with the Birmingham Walk to End Alzheimer’s and help out with next year’s event.

Learn more about the Alabama Chapter

The Alzheimer’s Association – Alabama Chapter is the main source of information and support for Alabamians living with dementia along with their families and caregivers. Through its statewide network of offices, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a broad range of programs and services, including a 24-hour Helpline. They put money towards research to prevent, treat and eventually end this disease.

Support the Alzheimer’s Association in Birmingham. Follow the cause via their website, Facebook and Instagram.

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