Walk This Way

The Walk to End Alzheimer's was this morning. Although it rained for most of the morning during the walk--causing us all to play game of umbrella up or down? for the entire 3.2 miles--it was a great day.

Here are a few shots I took with my phone during the walk, including our team picture, my "promise flower" that I carried in honor of someone I lost to Alzheimer's disease (each walker got a flower and the color depended on your connection with the disease. Purple meant I lost a loved one), and me propped up against a sign pointing the way to a world without Alzheimer's. I wish it was as easy to get to that place as it was to walk the 3.2 miles. Maybe one day it will be.

A couple highlights of the day:

1. Turning the last corner before the finish line, a local nursing home was camped out and had staff and a few residents cheering on walkers as they passed by. Not that I needed another reminder of why I was walking, but it brought back memories of my own grandparents in their respective nursing homes during their battle with Alzheimer's.

2. As we were getting ready to cross the start line, most walkers "planted" their promise flowers in the ground. It was quite a sight to see--all the colors of the flowers spinning in the wind. As I walked by the garden, the DJ was playing "Stay With You" by the Goo Goo Dolls (one of my favorite bands of all time). Not to sound cheesy, but I felt like maybe my Nana and Papa, who will always stay with me, were watching over me this morning. I kept my promise flower because I wanted it as a reminder of that moment and motivation to continue fighting for the cause.

Thanks again to everyone who supported our team--I was able to raise $715 and our team collected a total of $3,686. Now it's time to write some thank-you notes!