Sep 14, 2019 4 min read

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Editor’s note: This story is part of a Total Health series the Observer- Reporter is producing in conjunction with Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging.

Bracken Burns is looking forward to a certain date in time.

Through his work as co-chair of the annual Washington County Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Burns said he has joined forces with many people across the region to ensure that finding a cure for the disease becomes a reality in his lifetime.

“Everybody’s been touched by it at this point in time,” Burns said. “It’s growing respectability, if you will, but I look forward to the day that you don’t have to have a walk or raise money or have people who are being cared for with the disease or who are lost to the disease.

“I think we are going to get there someday,” he added. “I do believe that the cure is out there, but we aren’t there yet, so we are going to continue to do it again this year.”

The 19th Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled to be held Sept. 28 at Wild Things Park in North Franklin Township. The event will begin with registration for those participating in the walk at 8:30 a.m.

More than 600 people are expected to take part in this year’s event, according to an Alzheimer’s Association news release.

“When it first started I believe it was just a small fundraiser and brought in approximately $20,000,” said Nathaniel Sofranko, manager of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. “Now, their goal and the amount of money they are able to bring in has grown to be $100,000.”

The walk was started by Mary Lynn Spilak, Aging Services of Washington County Director, and Leslie Grenfell, executive director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, nearly two decades ago.

“They saw it as a cause that was important to local folks and that was the people they serve,” Burns said. “They saw it was a way to help.”

The way the events surrounding the walk have grown since its inception has been impressive to watch, Burns said.

“It’s amazing, and I say that in a very positive way,” he said. “Our goal this year is $100,000, and that’s kind of crazy when you increase the fundraising tenfold.”

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association news release.

In Pennsylvania, there are more than 400,000 people living with the disease and 676,000 caregivers, the release said.

For Burns, that is why continuing to hold the walk in Washington County is so important.

“We are trying to raise funds,” he said. “This is a disease that somewhere out there has a cure, and we didn’t get there yet. So we continue to pump funds into medical research. One of these days the lightbulb is going to come on and someone says, ‘it’s caused by whatever.’ When that day comes it’s going to be a great joy.”

Washington County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s begins with a memory walk, but the event also includes booths sponsored by various businesses from around the region and activities for children.

Walk participants will also have the opportunity to place a place a pinwheel flower in a “Promise Garden” to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s, Sofranko said.

Orange pinwheels placed in the garden represent a general supporter of the fight against the disease, while a blue pinwheel represents someone who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and a yellow one is in recognition of a current caregiver. A purple pinwheel honors someone who died from Alzheimer’s Disease, Sofranko said.

“The big, impactful moment for everyone is when they talk about the promise garden,” he said.