Ashland Community Invited to Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Central Park

Ashland Community Invited to Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Central Park

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

An afternoon of walking, remembrance and community support is coming to Ashland as local residents are invited to gather at Central Park for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

The event will take place at Central Park, 615 22nd Street in Ashland, bringing together people of all ages and abilities for an event that is about much more than walking. It is an opportunity for families, friends, businesses, churches, civic organizations and neighbors to come together in support of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and the millions of caregivers and families affected by dementia.

The event opens at 1:30 p.m., with a ceremony scheduled for 2:15 p.m. The walk will begin immediately following the ceremony.

Organizers are encouraging residents throughout the Ashland area to consider putting together a group and participating in this year’s event.

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide and is described as the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The event builds on the organization’s longtime Memory Walk tradition, which began in 1989 and mobilized millions of Americans in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Today, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s continues that tradition by bringing communities together while raising money for programs and research aimed at addressing one of the nation’s most significant health challenges.

There is no fee to register for the walk, but participants are encouraged to raise funds to support the Alzheimer’s Association’s work. Those funds help provide care and support services around the clock while also advancing research into prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure.

For those considering participating, getting involved can be as simple as three steps: register, fundraise and attend the walk.

Participants can register for the local Ashland walk, start or join a team, and invite others to take part. Fundraising resources and coaching are available to help participants spread the word and reach their fundraising goals.

For local residents, creating a team could be an especially meaningful way to participate.

A family could walk together in memory of a loved one. Coworkers could form a team and encourage their colleagues to join. Churches and civic organizations could organize groups. Businesses could create employee teams. Friends and neighbors could gather a group and make an afternoon of supporting the cause.

The event also provides an opportunity for those who have personally experienced the effects of Alzheimer’s to connect with others who understand what they are going through. The need for that support is substantial.

More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and there is currently no cure. Between 2000 and 2024, deaths from Alzheimer’s more than doubled. One in three older adults dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

Alzheimer’s is also listed as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the information provided by the Alzheimer’s Association. The disease claims more lives than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

The impact extends beyond those diagnosed with the disease. Nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Those caregivers often include spouses, children, relatives, friends and other loved ones who devote countless hours to helping with daily activities and providing support.

The financial impact is significant as well. In 2026, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were projected to cost the United States approximately $409 billion, with that figure expected to rise to nearly $1 trillion by 2050.

Those numbers help explain why events such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s matter. Each local walk gives residents a chance to turn concern into action while helping support services for families and research into future treatments.

But the Ashland event is also about remembering the people behind the statistics.

For many participants, the walk will be personal. Some will walk for a parent or grandparent. Others may participate for a spouse, sibling, friend or neighbor. Some will walk in memory of someone they have lost, while others will walk in support of someone currently living with the disease.

Whatever the reason, organizers are inviting the community to stand together.

The event’s afternoon schedule makes it possible for groups to attend together, participate in the ceremony and then walk through Central Park surrounded by others supporting the same cause.

Residents interested in participating are encouraged to register for the Ashland Walk, start or join a team, and begin inviting friends, family members and coworkers to participate.

A group does not have to be large to make a difference. One family, one workplace or one circle of friends can become a team, and several teams together can help demonstrate the strength of the Ashland community.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s offers an opportunity to remember loved ones, support caregivers, raise funds and bring attention to a disease affecting millions of American families.

This year, Ashland residents have the chance to make Central Park a gathering place for that effort.

The event will be held at Central Park, 615 22nd Street in Ashland. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., the ceremony begins at 2:15 p.m., and the walk will follow immediately afterward.

For more information about the Ashland event, contact Gretchen King at 859.214.6108, extension 8181, or glking@alz.org.

Whether participants come as a family, organize a workplace team, gather with friends or simply join others in the community, organizers hope Ashland residents will come out and walk together toward a future without Alzheimer’s.