PUHI — The carwash was free, but donations to the Alzheimer’s Association were welcomed at the Regency at Puakea, Saturday. “This is a fundraising effort for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” said Sharon Lasker, the marketing director at the Regency
PUHI — The carwash was free, but donations to the Alzheimer’s Association were welcomed at the Regency at Puakea, Saturday.
“This is a fundraising effort for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” said Sharon Lasker, the marketing director at the Regency at Puakea, an assisted living facility. “We are a sponsor of this walk which will take place Oct. 6, and Charlie Rebb, one of our residents, is the ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association.”
While motorists had their cars washed by the staff of the Regency, they could enjoy a special lunch prepared by Regency chef Ryan Theis while chatting with the residents under the shade of a canopy tent set up for the event.
“This is the best kind of lunch,” Lasker said. “Grilled hot dogs, homemade Brownies, a bag of chips and a cold drink for $5. All of the proceeds from the lunch go toward the Alzheimer’s walk along with donations for the free car wash.”
During last year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Lasker said there were about 160 walkers, and based on the indicators she’s received, this year’s walk goal is to have at least 200 walkers.
“People can still apply to walk, either as individuals, or as a team,” Lasker said. “Online applications are available at www.alz.org/walk, or they can come in to pick up a registration form.”
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Oct. 6 at the Kukui Grove Center, with registration starting at 7 a.m. and the walk starting at 8 a.m.
An individual grand prize will be awarded to the person who successfully raises the most funds and a team grand prize will be awarded to the team which collectively raises the most funds.
Humberto Blanco of the Alzheimer’s Association, during the county’s 6th Annual Health and Wellness Fair, said this weekend Donovan Pegeder and his entourage of beauty queens will be collecting funds for Alzheimer’s at the food court area of the Kukui Grove Center.
Pegeder and his beauties have registered as a team for the Alzheimer’s walk.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia which causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior, states the Alzheimer’s Association website.
The Aloha Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association estimates about 31,000 people in the state of Hawai‘i are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, reaching severity sufficient to interfere with daily tasks.
Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, the website states.
The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 years and older, but Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age because up to five percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s, also known as younger-onset, which often appears when someone is in their 40s and 50s.
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but treatments for symptoms are available and research for better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset and prevent it from developing are continuing.
Visit www.alz.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
