Steps of hope at Long Island's Walk to End Alzheimer's

The 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s — the Alzheimer’s Association’s largest annual fundraiser — returned to East Meadow on Oct. 6 to support breakthrough research and quality-of-life care for people with dementia.

The walk in Eisenhower Park was one of about 600 happening nationwide.

The Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter continues to provide a community and support system for people with Alzheimer’s, their families, friends, and caretakers, while raising awareness of the importance of brain health, said Community Educator Francesca Todaro.

“I feel like a lot of people that have Alzheimer’s or are confused about Alzheimer’s and other dementias, really could use the education and resources that the association can help them with,” Todaro said.

Before the walk, a Promise Garden ceremony was held, displaying solidarity where walkers carried color-coordinated flowers that represented how Alzheimer’s affected their lives and the people around them.

“It is very touching to hear the stories of how people are personally affected by this disease,” Nassau Walk Committee Member Michele Targovnik said in a news release. “The Promise Garden Ceremony is special because when you see everyone around you holding different color flowers it makes you feel so supported and wonderful to be standing next to the person next to you.”

Ed Miller, the vice chair for the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter Board of Directors, played a leading role in making the past two year’s walk a success in Nassau County.

Miller joined the Long Island chapter after his father was diagnosed with dementia in 2019. Miller, his sister, and mother faced challenges in providing the care an individual with dementia requires, so he began to participate in fundraisers like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

“I did my first walk in 2022 — it moved me, and it kept moving me,” Miller said. “It’s an absolute honor to come together at Eisenhower Park for this event, and to walk together and to see a sea of purple.”

There are 426,500 people in New York aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s Dementia, and over 7 million across the country, according to the Long Island Chapter. While symptoms become severe later in life, the brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s can begin decades before symptoms start. This period of time is a critical opportunity for people at risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to reduce the risk of the disease and catch its symptoms as early as possible.

Alzheimer’s researchers have made significant progress in treatments that improve the quality of life of Alzheimer’s patients and caretakers. The breakthroughs — such as a blood test that can help identify Alzheimer’s early — allow for intervention before symptoms escalate.

“There’s been a lot of breakthroughs that have come out in the news over the course of the last couple of years,” Miller said. “These are treatments that aren’t going to eradicate the disease at this point, but they are treatments, and there is hope.

For more information on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Long Island event, or to view other events, visit Alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.