Bancroft Alzheimer’s Walk coming May 25
The IG Wealth Management Bancroft Alzheimer’s Walk is coming to town again this year on May 25 at Millenium Park. Walks will also be taking place in Belleville, Quinte West, Prince Edward County and Tweed. Amelia Huffman, communications, grants and IT person with the Alzheimer’s Society of Hastings Prince Edward, sent out a media release all about this upcoming fundraising event on May 3. Huffman comments on the event to Bancroft This Week.
The IG Wealth Management Bancroft Walk for Alzheimer’s will be happening on May 25 at Millennium Park. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m., the walk goes from 10 a.m. to noon, and all funds raised stay here in Bancroft to fund local Alzheimer’s programs and services. Everyone is welcome to attend the walk and there is no minimum fundraising amount. Everyone who raises $50 or more will get a walk T-shirt. Riverstone Retirement Residence will be providing refreshments, and there will be live music from Kirk Bates and friends, activities and more.
Huffman told Bancroft This Week that registrations and donations have begun to come in both offline and online. She says their planning team is preparing a fantastic morning for walkers including information, activities, refreshments and more, saying there will be fun for all ages. “We hope to raise over $20,000 during the Bancroft walk event. In previous years, this event has raised up to $30,000 for local programs and services. We expect over 30 participants including both individuals and families. The community is invited to join us so we look forward to welcoming many community members and day of guests,” she says.
Huffman says that Riverstone Residence will be providing a grab and go breakfast, which will be fruits, yogurt, muffins, water and juice. “A great nutritious breakfast to help keep us fueled up and active,” she says. There are a plethora of ways to support this year’s walk; sign up individually, with your family or create a team at www.walkforalzheimers.ca, join a walk in Bancroft of the other locations, take a photo or video and upload it to social media with the hashtag #IGWalkForAlz, and most importantly, have fun raising money for this great cause.
The Alzheimer’s Society HPE offers free navigation, referral, education, support, resources, and information to all those with questions or concerns about memory loss or dementia. They offer one-one-one and family support and information, and community support groups (with nearly 100 support groups hosted yearly). They also offer social and recreational programs including Memory Café, Minds in Motion, Out and Abouters and much more. For more information, please visit www.alzheimer.ca/hpe. The walks occurring in Bancroft and the other locations raise crucial funding to help the Alzheimer’s Society HPE to offer free programs and services to help people living with dementia and their caregivers in Hastings Prince Edward Counties and Brighton. Canadians suffering from dementia are increasing in numbers, and by 2050, more than 1.7 million people will be living with dementia in this country. As the number of people living with dementia increases, so too does the need for services, and this year, the Alzheimer’s Society HPE is hoping to raise over $90,000 for local programs and services.
Angela Meraw, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Society HPE, says that the funds raised during these events ensure they can continue to serve everyone affected by memory loss as dementia continue to increase in HPE and across Canada. “Locally, we receive less than 40 per cent of our budget from the Ministry of Health, meaning we rely on the support of our community to continue providing our programs,” she says.
Jason Stapley, regional vice president with IG Wealth Management says that IG is proud to support the Alzheimer’s Society, as everyone knows someone who has been affected by dementia and are familiar with the emotional and financial impact it can have. “This year, our team will be walking for those who are in Belleville and surrounding area who are living with this disease, their families, and their caregivers. Each year, IG employees and advisors across the country look forward to the walk. It’s a great way to help support the communities in which we live and work,” he says.
Huffman told Bancroft This Week that support has been fantastic for the walk. “Choices [Thrift Shop in Bancroft] is supporting us with a donation again this year. They’ve donated over $30,000 over the last five plus years,” she says. “We have some fantastic walkers who have fundraised and supported for many years, like Lorna Yeomans, who has raised over $13,000 in the last four years.”
Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Bancroft Times
