North Bay residents put on their walking shoes Saturday to help raise money for the Alzheimer Society.
The annual IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s brought together people of all ages and backgrounds for this important fundraiser.
North Bay’s event was one of over 400 walks going on across Canada. sponsored by IG Wealth Management.
“This walk is for people living with dementia, it is for their care partners, their families, legacy families, the staff at the Alzheimer’s Society, community sponsors and partners. It is a great way to support the Society in our largest fundraiser of the year,” explained Shannon Ketchabaw, Executive Director of Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin, North Bay and District.
Walkers took to the streets leaving from the Adult Day location on King Street.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia affecting millions of people globally, including northern Ontario.
It causes problems with memory, thinking, and behaviour.
The Alzheimer Society of Canada predicts that by 2030, almost one million Canadians will live with dementia.
As Ketchabaw points out, dementia is on the rise.
“It is one of the most significant health crises of the 21st century. There are over 6,000 people living with dementia in the North Bay, Sudbury districts.”
In Northeastern Ontario alone, the projections estimate that nearly 148-thousand people are living with dementia and that by 2034, this will grow to roughly 176-thousand people.
As the numbers climb, the number of people providing support to people living with dementia will also climb.
“It could be a family member, it could be a friend, it could be a neighbour providing support. They will provide over 5 million unpaid hours of care each week. So that is the equivalent of over 128 thousand full-time jobs,” Ketchabaw stated.
The mission of the Alzheimer Society is to help with dementia programs, services and support.
Money raised from this walk is “vital to sustaining the Alzheimer’s Society’s operations and ensuring that they can continue providing specialized programs and services tailored to individuals and families navigating the challenges of dementia in North Bay and surrounding regions.”
North Bay raised roughly $30,000 during its fundraising walk, money that is earmarked for local programming.
This year’s goal is $35,000.
“So, it would go towards the day program, services like our in-home respite, our activation programs like support groups, things like that, that we run in the North Bay area,” explained Ketchabaw.
“The activation program is working one-on-one with the client, where a worker will go in a home for an hour and spend time with the client, and they’ll do activities or other things in the one-hour time frame.”
Research is ongoing.
As dementia cases continue to rise, the number of people providing support is also expected to grow.
Donations will continue to be accepted even after the walk, going to the Alzheimer’s Society website, with all money remaining local.