The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise funding and awareness for Alzheimer’s. This weekend marks the first year Baton Rouge has participated in the event. 
“It is very important that we are here in Baton Rouge, being the state Capitol especially for our state-based advocacy,” Knesha Rose said, Associate Director of Programs for the Louisiana chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. 
Over 300 people from the Baton Rouge community came to Forest Park to support the 82,000 families affected by the disease in Louisiana. 
“This shows not only the commitment that the association has, but the commitment of our community to continue to make Alzheimer’s prevention, information, funding and support for families a top priority for the state of Louisiana,” said Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge.
Participants chose one of four flowers to represent their reason for walking, and they planted them in the ground of Forest Park in their honor.
The blue flowers represented people walking with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The yellow flowers represented people supporting or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. The purple flowers represented people that lost someone to Alzheimer’s. The orange flowers represented people supporting the cause and vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.
Sheree Hughes of Denham Springs chose the purple flower in honor of her late mother, Maxine. 
“She had Alzheimer’s for about ten years and she passed a couple of years ago,” Hughes said. “I’m here to support her. She would love all this.”
After the walk, participants enjoyed free jambalaya, music and refreshments. Many people, such as Tiffany Wunstel of Elder Outreach, said they are looking forward to next year’s event. 
“We have been to a few of these,” Wunstel said, “but this was a really fun one to definitely walk the two miles.” 
Her coworker, Michele Veillon, added, “it’s a perfect day and a perfect locale.”
Thousands of families in Louisiana are affected each year by Alzheimer’s. To learn how you can make a difference in the Baton Rouge community, visit alz.org.