senior-spectrum.com

Last updated 7/20/04

Retired Restaurant Owner Still Setting the Pace

Television Writer, Humor Columnist Larry Miller Dies at 81

The Best of Larry Miller Through the Years

55-Plus: A Mixed Marriage Made in Heaven: Bovine and Mollusk

This Week's Columnists

Photo Feature: Sacramento Then & Now

Spectrum Expressions:
Your Thoughts

Web Site of the Week

SENIOR LINKS

If you would like to order a copy of a Spectrum photo, CLICK HERE

Alzheimer’s Group Hits Home Run With Memory Walk Registrations

By Daniel Dullum
Spectrum staff writer

The Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada has enjoyed successful kickoffs for its annual Memory Walk in the past, but nothing has worked quite like a trip to the ballpark.

Julianna Isaac, the association’s special events manager, said more than 400 people have signed up for “Strike Out Alzheimer’s,” the Memory Walk 2004 kickoff scheduled Tuesday at Raley Field in West Sacramento. The event will begin at 5:45 p.m., preceding the River Cats’ baseball game vs. the Salt Lake Stingers.

“We’re leading out of all the Northern California offices that are using online registration. We’ve never had more than 50 people at a kickoff before, so this shows the momentum that is building for this year,” Isaac said. “In past kickoffs, we’ve rented a facility and had speakers and catering. By just tying the River Cats in, people are looking at this and saying, ‘This is a fun event and we want to go.’ This is going to bring a lot of exposure to the disease, so it’s made a huge difference.”

Nick Toma of KMAX-TV (Channel 31) and Pat McConahay of KVIE-TV (Channel 6) will host a special pre-game celebration. The event is intended to encourage the audience to recruit walkers to participate in the 12th annual Sacramento Memory Walk, scheduled for Oct. 9 at the state Capitol.

The Memory Walk includes half-mile and 3-mile walks, and a “Memory Lane” where people can place a photograph or letter from a loved one on a display wall. Participants also can view artwork created by Alzheimer’s patients.

“And we’ll have entertainment, food, and a health corner with informational booths for nonprofits, free health screenings, massage, things for the kids,” Isaac said. “It’s not just a walk where you show up, give your money and you’re out of there. We try to give back to the people who are supporting us.”

Isaac said the convenience of online registration has played a role in this year’s registration increase.

“We have a very efficient way to register and fundraise now, especially for people who don’t feel comfortable asking people for donations, so they go to our Web site,” Isaac said.

This year’s Memory Walk is dedicated to the memory of President Ronald Reagan, whose battle with Alzheimer’s disease brought attention to the more than 4 million Americans who suffer from the illness.

The Memory Walk is the Alzheimer’s Association’s largest Northern California fundraiser, with 78 cents from every dollar going toward Alzheimer’s research and treatments.

The association provides services to the more than 220,000 Northern Californians who suffer from Alzheimer’s, and also has services for family members, including support groups, a 24-hour Helpline telephone service, a referral database, educational and training programs, a safe return program, resource library and peer-reviewed research.

In addition to the Sacramento Memory Walk, other Northern California or Nevada sites include Carson City, Sept. 19; Solano County, Oct. 2; Chico, Santa Cruz and Treasure Island, Oct. 9; Reno, Oct. 10; Wine Country and Yerrington, Oct. 16; and Monterey, Nov. 6.

Walkers who raise $50 or more earn a commemorative T-shirt, with other prizes available for those who raise $500 to $5,000. Proceeds from the River Cats’ “Strike Out Alzheimer’s” night go toward the Memory Walk’s fundraising goal of $150,000. Last year’s event raised $130,000.

“We’ve made one-third of that already. We’re ahead of the game,” Isaac said.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, or forming a Memory Walk team, can obtain a brochure by calling (916) 930-9080 or visiting www.alznorcal.com.