Walks raise awareness of Alzheimer's, addiction recovery and Down syndrome

Benefit walks were held Saturday to bring awareness and support to those living with Alzheimer�s disease, those recovering from substance addiction and those with Down syndrome.

Walk to End Alzheimer�s took place at Cape County Park North in Cape Girardeau, and event organizer Greg Sciuto said the event has been going on for 21 years, and this year garnered more than 500 participants.

�We had over 300 registered prior to today,� he said. �We honor those that we lost to the disease, but our walk is a celebration of life, and hopefully that�s the feeling folks get.�

This year�s goal was to raise $105,000, with proceeds going back into the Alzheimer�s Association Greater Missouri Chapter to provide resources and to fulfill individual needs within Southeast Missouri.

Sciuto emphasized people are becoming lost �slowly over time,� but their lives and memories are still worth celebrating.

The event began with many of the participants holding different colored flowers during the �Promise Garden Ceremony,� which Sciuto described as a time of remembrance, support and hope.

A blue flower symbolizing those with Alzheimer�s; a yellow flower representing caregivers; a purple flower for �those that we�ve lost�; and an orange flower signifying people who don�t have a direct connection but understand the need in continuing to fight for the cause, according to Sciuto.

The flowers were raised one by one to illustrate the enormity of Alzheimer�s prevalence, he explained.

Cape Girardeau native Rhonda Ray � participant on the �A Team� � was in attendance Saturday in honor of her mother who had Alzheimer�s.

Ray told the story of how her mother announced from onstage at the 2012 Walk to End Alzheimer�s she �wouldn�t recommend [Alzheimer�s]� and followed her speech by a dance, a bow and �everybody clapped,� Ray said.

Ray met the A Team by volunteering at the Missouri Veteran�s Home in Cape Girardeau. And her purple hair gets a lot of attention, she said.

When somebody tells Ray, �I really like your hair,� she responds with: �It�s all about Alzheimer�s awareness.�

Ray frequently has the opportunity to speak with someone who needs to talk about Alzheimer�s, she said.

�One time, I was buying this loud purple pair of pants in Goodwill, and a man about my age said, �Please tell me those are for your granddaughter.� I said, �Well, I have a grandson; I don�t think he�d wear them,�� Ray said. �And he goes, �And your hair is ridiculous looking.��

Ray said she then began to tell him the reason for her hair color, and it turned out he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer�s a couple days before and hadn�t been able to tell his wife.

�And that man ended up giving me a hug before he left,� she said. �I do want people to know about Alzheimer�s.�

Addiction recovery

Another walk was held Saturday had the goal of raising awareness of to in addiction recovery.

Southeast peer ambassador Kristi Booth was assisting with and participating in the third annual Substance Use Disorder Recovery Walk in Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.

Booth � also part of Missouri Recovery Network � said she and the nearly 150 other participants are in recovery from addiction and want to express that dedication to the community.

�We�re trying to break the stigma of addiction,� she said. �Because when people think of an addict, then think of us when we�re in our addiction, rather than when we�re in recovery.�

Addictions can be classified as substance use disorder, Booth said, �which covers everything.�

�We want to raise awareness and let people know that we do recover,� Booth said.

Down syndrome

The 10th annual Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk also took place Saturday morning in Capaha Park.

Group leader and Cape Girardeau native Claire Watson said the event garnered nearly 300 participants, which was �a lot.�

�It was an awesome day. This was a record-breaking number of people for us,� Watson said. �We had several new families come, which is always great.�

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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