PVCC Students Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Deadra Miller, online editor

Students and adults from around the Charlottesville area walked 1.7 miles around IX Art Park in downtown Charlottesville on Oct. 20. PVCC’s President Frank Friedman and his wife Sue Friedman coordinated and walked for this year’s event.

Charlottesville Alzheimer’s Association President and CEO Sue Friedman is the director for the Charlottesville area walk to end Alzheimer’s, and she with a team of other individuals  put this walk together to help support the cause. The goal was to donate over $260,000 this year, and this walk alone raised $244,686.82.

Over the years, millions of dollars have been donated to end Alzheimer’s. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one of the 600 walks happening across the United States this year.

This disease is not recognized in individuals very easily like other diseases are and when it is finally recognized the outpour of support surpasses other causes. The Alzheimer’s Association also supports families that have suffered loved ones living with dementia, caregivers to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and loved ones lost to  these horrible diseases.

There are many ways to reach out and receive help for these diseases and the way to find help or donate is through www.alz.org. According to the website, “16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Also Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.”