‘The Village People’ kick off annual events held nationally
Some residents of The Village at Heritage Point took a very meaningful walk around the main building Thursday as part of the Alzheimer’s Association annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“The Village People” raised $1,200 in donations and sold 50 colorful pinwheel flowers for a promise garden at The Village at Heritage Point, said Ann Zitney, director of sales and marketing.
Zitney bought a purple flower in memory of a neighbor who died of Alzheimer’s. Blue flowers are for people diagnosed with the disease, yellow is for caregivers and orange represents those who support a world without the disease.
The Village People have participated in the walk for at least the seven years Zitney has been there.
This year, the event is being held virtually because of COVID-19 and The Village at Heritage Point is the first area group to do its walk, Zitney said.
The walk raises funds for Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Money raised by the event allows the Alzheimer’s Association to offer support and educational services for free. According to the association, 39,000 people in West Virginia have the disease and another 105,000 West Virginians are affected as caregivers.
One of those affected by the disease is 78-year-old Carolyn Keech, who participated in Thursday’s walk. Keech’s father had Alzheimer’s.
“It’s a cruel disease,” she said. “Early on everybody said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about dementia because if you’re worried about memory loss you don’t have it cause you wouldn’t know.’ That’s not true. And I’ve seen that, I continue to see it. I see it with people here who know they’re failing; their memories are not what they used to be.”
It can be debilitating but there is a lot that can be done to help support those dealing with the disease and their families, Keech said.
Things such as love, understanding, listening, kindness, supporting research and supporting programs that help those dealing with the disease.
Keech said the Alzheimer’s Association has done a lot to promote awareness of the disease and to work on cures, treatments and helping educate people about what to expect and coping mechanisms.
Tweet @WillDean_DP
