Editor:
On behalf of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people of Prince George for participating in the 2021 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s.
They joined thousands of people in communities across the province and walked their own way in May to show their support for people affected by dementia. Participants got active and showed tremendous creativity while raising funds to support the Alzheimer Society of B.C. They walked, hiked, cycled, danced and more. Then on Sunday, May 30, they joined us online to celebrate a month of activity and hear stories from people who are affected by dementia across Canada.
In Prince George, participants garnered support from family and friends and raised over $24,000 in online donations for the Walk. These funds will support education sessions, support groups and our First Link® Dementia Helpline. They will also allow us to continue to expand digital support, as well as enabling research into the causes and cure for the disease.
The pandemic has highlighted the isolation faced by people living with dementia. However, through the Walk, participants showed that they are deeply committed to supporting their fellow community members facing the disease regardless of not being able to gather in-person for the event. Thank you for coming together to make memories matter.
I’d also like to thank the Prince George volunteer organizing committee, led by Nicole Lupal and Mackenzie Kerr: they were instrumental to garnering local support and awareness for this event, and we could not have done this without them. Thank you.
The event also had incredible support from sponsors and donors. I’d like to thank our title sponsor IG Wealth Management for their ongoing support of the event. We are grateful for their vision and leadership, and for engaging their volunteers and driving fundraising across Canada. We’d also like to thank our provincial sponsor Cowell Auto Group for their unwavering continued support and commitment to people affected by dementia.
While we may not be able to be together in-person with our community members just yet, thanks to the generosity of our participants, donors, volunteers, honouree families, sponsors and patrons, we will continue to work to ensure people affected by dementia know they are not alone.
Donations are open until June 30, 2021 at walkforalzheimers.ca. You can also watch the event’s recorded celebration on our Facebook page (@AlzheimerBC).
For questions about memory loss or dementia, call the First Link® Dementia Helpline:
- English: 1-800-936-6033 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Cantonese and Mandarin: 1-833-674-5007 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Punjabi: 1-833-674-5003 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Cathryn France
Director, Resource Development
Alzheimer Society of B.C.