Gainesville Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises $100,000 to combat disease

Press release from Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s^®

More than 500 gathered on Saturday at The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Trinity United Methodist Church. Held in-person for the first time since 2019, the event raised $100,000 for the care, support, and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association. 

“Gainesville rallied this weekend to honor loved ones impacted by Alzheimer’s disease,” said Audra Peoples, walk director for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. “I am continually impressed by what this community can accomplish. Thank you to our dedicated Walk committee, volunteers, teams, and individuals who worked so hard and actually surpassed our goal this year!” 

Walk Chair Christina Ramos was proud to walk for her grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “It turned our family upside down. We had a lot of plans to travel the world together. Italy was going to be our first family trip overseas, but that is just not a possibility anymore. This disease has taken that away from us and her and it’s so hard to watch someone you love battle with a disease that has not yet been cured. Thank you to everyone in our community who donated and all of our local sponsors, we need as much help and support as we can get!”

Walk participant Vinell Griggs walked in support of her husband. “Billy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 and everyday he thanks me for taking care of him,“ said Griggs. “We’ve been married for 50 wonderful years. I hope there will never come a day when he doesn’t know me. The more money we can raise, the more we can do to continue research so we ultimately find a cure.” 

The Beta Tau chapter of Sigma Kappa was the top fundraising team at this year’s event, raising more than $20,000. This year marks the 38th anniversary of the partnership between the Alzheimer’s Association and the Sigma Kappa Sorority. The Sigma Kappa Foundation has raised more than one million dollars nationwide in support of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. 

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Florida alone, there are more than 580,000 people living with the disease and 527,000 caregivers.