“It’s remarkable how just about everyone I know is somehow connected to Alzheimer’s” says Keely White, a young and energetic volunteer who is passionate about volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s – San Francisco. The SF Walk will take place on November 5, 2022 at Pier 27 with a scenic Walk route along the Embarcadero.
While new to San Francisco last year, Keely is not new to the Walk, having participated in Walks to End Alzheimer’s across the state. Her first step to end Alzheimer’s was to rally her entire Sigma Kappa sorority at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo. While Sigma Kappa supports Walks to End Alzheimer’s around the U.S. as a National Team, Keely spurred her local Walk team to fundraise to new heights in the SLO community, bringing in over $25,000 in donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sadly, Keely and her family are not new to Alzheimer’s disease, as her grandmother Roberta is currently living with this most common form of dementia. Remembering her grandmother as “a single mother of four, full-time nurse, passionate philanthropist, and drag car racer (no joke!),” Keely shares that it “has been sobering, humbling, and heartbreaking to watch her memories, independence, and identity be stripped away over the years.”
Keely joins individuals across the Bay Area at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s to get closer to a world without Alzheimer’s and all other forms of dementia.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, with over 600,000 people facing the disease in California alone.
“It is a special time right now – a trying time due to aging demographics, but an extremely hopeful time in this fight,” said Drue Banta, Senior Director of the San Francisco Walk. “The community health and economic impacts of Alzheimer’s are rapidly advancing and therefore we must continue rapidly advancing our Walk to End Alzheimer’s efforts. After decades of accelerating research, we are seeing progress in the dementia space in the form of a pipeline of potential new treatments and special note needs to be given to the Walk’s annual fundraising and awareness efforts that have helped fuel this progress.”
The Alzheimer’s Association is moving forward with plans to host the event in person with the health and safety of participants, volunteers, and staff remaining the top priorities this year as always. A walk-from-home experience also is available — including virtual reality experiences — for those who prefer to walk in their own neighborhoods.
How You Can Help
Register for Walk to End Alzheimer’s and start a team of friends and family or sign up your company as a team and register coworkers to make a bigger impact. All funds raised through the Walk go directly to the care and support of those affected by Alzheimer’s, as well as research to find the first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease.
Make It Better Media Group is leading the fight to end Alzheimer’s by generously offering to match every gift, up to a total of $10,000, raised by participants in the 2022 Walk To End Alzheimer’s – San Francisco event during our “Register and Raise Challenge” from October 3-7th.
“I am so grateful for the resources that the Alzheimer’s Association provides to help families like my own make educated decisions and find support,” shared Keely. Citing the statistic that two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are women, Keely proudly asserts that she Walks “not only for the future generations of my family, but for women everywhere.”
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. For more information, visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.
