HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The parking lot of the Christian County Justice Center was transformed into a sea of purple shirts as people gathered for the Pennyrile Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Oct. 5. Nearly 200 people signed up to walk and raise money for the Hopkinsville regional chapter of the national organization.
Participants ranged from those who have family members affected by Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, to those who were there in support of the cause. Committee member and top promoter, Alan Toliver, was handing out large flowers for walkers to carry. Each color represented the walker’s association with sufferers of the disease. Purple for those who have lost loved ones, yellow for those who are or were caregivers for loved ones, blue for those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia and orange for those who have not been personally affected.
Hopkinsville has the highest occurrence of the disease in the state of Kentucky, at 12.4% as compared to the state average of 10.2%, and many purple flowers were visible during the walk. Kiki Radford, the head coach of the girls’ basketball at Christian County High School, walks in memory of grandmother. She also brought the team to support the organization, as she has done for the last 12 years. Six senior players were the first through the arch to start the walk.
“It feels important to be involved,” said Harley McCarty, a repeat walker in honor of her husband’s grandmother. Her daughter was a partial participant last year, as Harley was pregnant for the walk, but Laurel rode in her scooter this year.
The goal for the event was $60,000 and they raised just over $40,000 at the start of the event. The money will go to programs that help local patients and their caregivers and towards further research. Donations are still being accepted at #ENDALZ so they can reach their goal this year.
The committee is always looking for new members, Charter Living Center hosts a meeting every third Friday in their conference room at noon.
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