If you volunteered, sponsored, or participated in the 2025 Walk4ALZ last October, your support has had a monumental impact on your community. 100% of funds raised have stayed in San Diego to help families impacted by dementia. I wanted to take a moment to share with you how your participation has positively impacted San Diegans since the event last year. I hope you feel the same joy I felt when I read this feedback from one of our clients.
Because of you, Sarah’s family enjoys rest, connection, and joy:
Since October, your support has helped many people in San Diego County impacted by dementia, including Sarah and her family. Sarah’s dad has dementia, and recently she has started to feel overwhelmed caring for her dad 24/7. She reached out to Alzheimer’s San Diego for guidance and a Dementia Care Coach helped enroll her dad in the ALZ Companion program. Through this program, trained volunteers visit the home of a family impacted by dementia once a week to give the caregiver a much needed break and provide socialization to the person living with dementia. Thanks to you, Sarah’s family was matched with a kind volunteer to spend time with her dad. Sarah recently shared:
“Steven (ALZ Companion volunteer) is a blessing from above! Words cannot describe how thankful we are to have him. Our dad engages with Steven more than his own family members! On top of that — Steven has a heart of gold and performs above and beyond. Steven is so sweet, kind, generous, and caring – we wish we could keep him forever. Our dad’s mood significantly gets better when he is around Steven, it is like he is a completely different person. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it was not for Alzheimer’s San Diego. The Alzheimer’s San Diego support team [gives] a lot of helpful and resourceful advice for us as well so that we can continue to care for our dad here at home. Thank you so much Alzheimer’s San Diego!”
To all of our supporters, you helped provide Sarah’s family with a kind and compassionate volunteer who brightens their lives and gives Sarah a break from caregiving. Look at the wonderful relationships that have been built because generous people like you help make sure everyone in San Diego County can access this support for free. Please take a moment to appreciate this wonderful moment you have helped create.
Will we see you this year?
Dementia can be a hard road to navigate, and Walk4ALZ is one of the rare opportunities for the dementia community in San Diego to come together to support one another and raise money to sustain Alzheimer’s San Diego’s free programs all year long. As one person shared:
“When I see everyone at Walk4ALZ, it’s proof that no one has to be in this alone. Remember that this community can offer you strength and resilience when you feel like you don’t have any left.”
We hope to see you in celebration of this year’s 10th annual Walk4ALZ event at Balboa Park so that we can continue to provide dignity and support for those impacted by dementia in our community together.
By Heidi Emmenegger
RECOMMENDED: HOW TO: Register for Rides4ALZ
Posted on May 13, 2026