People walk to fight Alzheimer’s

Jeff Elder couldn’t control his sadness on Saturday when he spoke about his father’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

Elder and his wife, Sharon, were co-hosts of the 10th annual Carbon County Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Mauch Chunk Lake Park. About 200 people participated.

In starting the walk, he spoke about his father’s case of Alzheimer’s. His father died five years ago from effects of the ailment. Elder said Sharon “just lost her brother to this terrible disease.”

He told the gathering, “Somewhere in your life, in your family, in your travels, you are touched by this terrible disease.

“This disease takes away everything a person loves,” Elder said.

Most of the people participating in the walk along the Switchback Trail were there because of some loved one afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

Because of Elder’s father, he and his wife formed a team called “Weissport Warriors” for the walk. It was the second Carbon County Walk to End Alzheimer’s in which the Weissport Warriors took part. They also had held an Alzheimer’s walk in Weissport last year.

Ryan Schofield, community development manager for the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said there were 25 teams which participated in Saturday’s walk.

He attributed the excellent weather as a factor in drawing such a large turnout of walkers.

Many of the walkers had pet dogs with them. Some pushed baby carriages. The walkers ranged in age from preschool to senior citizen.

The largest team was from Ambler, Montgomery County, who called themselves “The Unfor-Goettner-ables.”

Having about 50 members, The Unfor-Goettner-ables consisted of members of the Lewis Goettner family. Goettner, of Amber, owned a bakery business. His daughter, Maxine Romano, was one of the organizers of the team in memory of Lewis, who died from Alzheimer’s.

Romano said this is the team’s fourth year in the walk. Members wore multicolored striped caps. She said before joining the Carbon County walk, the family walked in a Philadelphia event of which there were more than 10,000 participants. “We couldn’t stay together,” she said. “My sister heard of the walk here.”

The sister owns a home in Jim Thorpe, and the event has now become an annual family reunion of sorts.

Jill Tilney has participated in every annual walk in Carbon County. She said she started walking as an individual in 2009, then joined the team “Fight to Remember.”

One of the highlights of the walk was a check presentation by Jessica Adamczyk, marketing associate at Heritage Hill Senior Center. The check from Heritage Hill totals $2,611.90.

Heritage Hill had a team marching called “Hill’s Angels.”

Brenda Edmonds, financial adviser for Edward Jones Investment of Lehighton and Tamaqua, who spoke about the company’s large donations toward the Alzheimer’s Association.