Walk to End Alzheimer's comes to Green River

The Sweetwater County Walk to End Alzheimer's is coming to Green River for the first time in four years.

The walk is held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide and is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. 

"I think that awareness of Alzheimer's disease is very important for people to realize it's there and they are still struggling to find a cure," Ruth Lauritzen said.

Lauritzen is a member of the local committee that organizes the walk in Sweetwater County each year. Other commitee members are Susie Von Ahrens, Marilyn Dockter and DeLynn Mann.

The Walk to End Alzheimer's is a county-wide event but has been held in Rock Springs until now. Lauritzen said the committee decided to switch things up and hold the walk in Green River this year to take advantage of the Green Belt. The city of Green River also donated use of the shelter in Evers Park for the event.

Other donations and the help of volunteers have been crucial in making the event possible. Signs have been donated and volunteers from groups like Boys Scouts of America Troop 312 will be helping at the walk, according to Lauritzen.

The walk will also feature several activities, including a ceremony with guest speakers, live music by the EIO Band, hamburgers and hot dogs provided by Searle Brothers, raffle items. and kids carnival games and prizes.

The walk is traditionally used as an opportunity to raise funds for Alzheimer's support and research, so there are different levels of incentives for those who donate, Lauritzen explained. For example, those who donate $100 will receive a t-shirt. Many participants spend time fundraising or getting sponsors for the walk.

While donations are welcome and encouraged, anyone can show up and participate in the walk for free in order to show support and help raise awareness. Participants can either walk on their own or with a team.

Everyone is also welcome to walk as little or as much as they can and want to. Lauritzen explained the official walk will follow the 3K route that goes to the turnaround by the horse corrals, but walkers can choose to walk around the path on Expedition Island and can walk however far they're able.

One of the unique things about the Walk to End Alzheimer's that makes the event "neat," according to Lauritzen, is the flower garden which is planted during the ceremony. Participants in the walk are given different colored flower pinwheels that signify their connection to Alheimer's, whether they have the disease themselves, are a caretaker, or have lost someone to the disease. A child is then chosen to carry one white flower, Lauritzen explained, which symbolizes the hope that by the time that child is old enough to possibly get Alzheimer's there will be a cure.

"There's very rarely a person you can find that has not been affected in some way by Alzheimer's," Lauritzen said. "It's a terrible disease. And I think the support of the Alzheimer's walk is to get the community together to raise awareness but also to raise funds for that research they're doing that they hope will eventually come up with a cure for the disease."

This year's walk will take place Friday, Aug. 26 at Evers Park. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m., with a ceremony at 6 p.m. and the walk taking place immediately after the ceremony.