BY BILL PHILLIPS
There’s something new at the annual Prince George Investors Group Walk for Alzheimer’s this year. It will be held outdoors.
The walk is slated for Sunday, May 6, and will be held at the YMCA of Northern B.C.
“We’re going to have activities inside around the gym and outside,” said Mackenzie Kerr, co-chair of the Prince George Investors Group Walk for Alzheimer’s.
On the day of the walk, there will be an activity centre in the gym at the YMCA, designed through the Minds in Motion program. The activity centre will have Scrabble games, puzzles, a foam basketball hoop, and more. All the events are designed to keep people active.
“The idea for preventing Alzheimer’s is just keeping your mind active, whether that’s reading, walking or just being with your family and having fun,” co-chair Nicole Lupul.
The honouree for this year’s walk is Victoria Taylor. She is immortalized in one of those huge murals on the side of the Senior’s Centre on Brunswick Street downtown.
“Victoria Taylor is our honouree for this year’s walk,” said Lupul. “She is living with Alzheimer’s and has worked at the Seniors Centre on Brunswick Street for 30 years. She worked hard and it seems like she’s even playing hard now, even with Alzheimer’s. She’s a very active lady.”
Lupul says the organizing committee is “eagerly” looking for volunteers. It takes about 25-30 volunteers to put on the walk. Lupul and Kerr expect about 100-150 people for the walk. There will be a barbecue with hotdogs and hamburgers, hosted by 4-H and the Frozen Paddle will have an ice cream truck on site.
The local walk is one of 23 in the province on May 6 and it is the biggest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s across the province. The Investor’s Group has been involved with the walk across the province for more than a decade.
“It is a very important issue today, and moving forward,” said Scott Moffat at the Prince George Investors Group. “We have an aging population in Canada with the baby boomers. There are very few people that haven’t been touched, in terms of having someone in their family or friends network, by dementia or Alzheimer’s. This is a very important cause. If we can increase the awareness of Alzheimer’s and raise money to help support research and the caring of individuals, that’s very important to me personally.”
Last year the walk raised $16,000 in Prince George and the goal this year is $20,000.
“We ask people to come out and join us for the day,” said Moffat. “We’d love to have you come out and join us to assist in raising awareness and some funds.”
The walk goes at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 6 at the YMCA of Northern B.C. For more information, call Nicole Lupul at 250-564-2310 or leave a message on the walk’s Facebook page – Investors Group Walk for Alzheimer’s PG.
