JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Residents are invited to join Abbey Havre, who walks in honor of her grandmother living with Alzheimer\u2019s, and Reese Dickerson, who walks for his mother and grandmother, at the Walk to End Alzheimer\u2019s in Jacksonville on Sunday, November 9, at the UNF J.B. Coxwell Amphitheater. <\/p>\n
Registration begins at 1 p.m. followed by a ceremony at 2 p.m. The walk will immediately follow. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother is quite healthy physically, despite her age, which makes the mental deterioration even harder to watch,\u201d Havre said. \u201cAlzheimer\u2019s runs in my family. I\u2019d like to help find a cure before this disease hits my sister, her children, and myself. It\u2019s too late for my great gram and grandmother. I hope it won\u2019t be too late for us.\u201d <\/p>\n
In Florida, over 580,000 people are living with the disease, supported by more than 870,000 unpaid caregivers. <\/p>\n
Duval County has an estimated 17,300 people or 12.1 percent over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer\u2019s. <\/p>\n
On Walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer\u2019s with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony \u2014 a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease. <\/p>\n
During the ceremony, walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to the disease. <\/p>\n
\u201cI walk for my mom and now for my grandma,\u201d Dickerson said. \u201cI walk because I can. I walk for those who can\u2019t. I\u2019ll walk until we find a cure, because Alzheimer\u2019s will not win.\u201d<\/p>\n