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    Fremont County ‘Drive to End Alzheimer’s’ event planned in September

    Fremont County residents are invited to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the first-ever local Alzheimer’s Association 2020 Drive to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, September 26th, 2020.

    What is traditionally the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, a few adjustments have been made this year due to COVID-19. Instead of hosting a large gathering, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging participants to drive as individuals or in small groups.

    The Car Rally will start at the Riverton Central Wyoming College campus and travel to Lander on a route that includes several long-term care residences along the way. Each carload will be a team and can register by clicking here.

    Time-honored components of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s are being replicated. On September 26th, an Opening Ceremony will feature local speakers and a presentation of Promise Flowers to honor the personal reasons participants join together to fight Alzheimer’s and all other dementia, all delivered to participants’ smartphones, tablets and computers. A small group of Alzheimer’s Association staff and volunteers will create the iconic Promise Garden in a “view only” format on Walk day at Hudson Memorial Park to honor all those impacted by Alzheimer’s. The park is on the route from Riverton to Lander.

    “This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be everywhere,” said Wendy Vizek, vice president, constituent events at the Alzheimer’s Association. “The pandemic is changing how we participate, but it doesn’t change the need to participate. This year, more than ever, we need to come together to support all those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

    With the dollars raised, the Alzheimer’s Association can continue to provide care and support to families during these difficult times while also advancing critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention.”

    To enhance the participant experience leading up to the event and on Walk day, new features are being added to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s mobile app to create an opportunity for the community to connect. Participants can use the app and new “Mainstage” to track their steps and distance, manage their Facebook fundraisers, and access information and resources from the Association and Walk sponsors to help individuals and families affected by the disease. A new audio track is available to encourage participants along the way and to congratulate them upon completion.

    “Alzheimer’s is not taking a hiatus during COVID-19 and neither are we,” said Grace Andrus, Fremont County Walk Chair. “We must continue Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and we are working with all participants to ensure they have a powerful and moving experience that is felt when we are together. Many of our constituents are at higher risk when it comes to COVID-19 and we know that our volunteers and participants appreciate our commitment to keeping all involved healthy and safe.”

    More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Wyoming alone, there are more than 10,000 people living with the disease and 28,000 caregivers.

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