Carbon’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s to be held Saturday

A Carbon County walk aimed to raise funds toward a cure for a dastardly disease is about to step off.

“The Long Goodbye” 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held Saturday at Mauch Chunk Lake Park in Jim Thorpe.

Registration will take place at 9 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and the walk at 10:30 a.m.

Jeff Elder, who along with his wife, Sharon, serve as co-chairs for the Carbon County Alzheimer’s Association, explained the mission.

“We’re all about trying to find the first survivor of this very, very powerful disease that impacts us,” Elder said.

Elder said this year marks the Weissport Warriors Against Alzheimer’s first walk.

“It’s a group effort,” he said. “A lot of people have gifted their resources, time, money and effort.”

Elder said that most of the money that’s raised is designed to go specifically to the resource that’s needed for research.

“My wife and I both have families that have been afflicted by Alzheimer’s,” he said. “We have a big investment in making sure that this happens for that first survivor.”

Elder encouraged others to join them for the walk.

“We’d love to have anyone and everyone come out for the walk; you don’t have to be registered,” he said. “You can come up and enjoy the fellowship. There will be stories to be told.”

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

For more information, contact Jeff and Sharon Elder at 484-221-0325, or Ryan Schofield, manager, Walk To End Alzheimer’s, at rjschofield@alz.org.