Over a hundred participants, wearing the signature color of the American Alzheimers Association, took part in the second annual Fire Island Walk to End Alzheimer’s. If you were a beachgoer or boater near Saltaire or Kismet on Sunday, August 25, you probably caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a large purple cluster moving in unison. Those participants took either a one-and-a-half or two-mile walk from the Saltaire Yacht Club to The Dive restaurant on Kismet, to help raise money and awareness for the neurological disease known as Alzheimer’s, which affects nearly seven million Americans.
The walk on Fire Island began back around 2020 by Donna Stefans, who is now the Fire Island Walk Executive Event Chair and board member of the Long Island chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Since then, it has grown and garnered enough support that it has now been recognized as a national walk. The Alzheimer’s Walks are the world’s largest fundraisers to contribute to the battle against Alzheimer’s.
“I’m very humbled… we got amazing support from our village and town this year, it’s amazing,” said Stefans. The numbers certainly back up that claim, as the goal was to raise $40,000, and is now touching almost $50,000.
Smashing a goal by nearly ten thousand dollars takes serious dedication and hard work from the organizers, Stefans, Tinamarie Hardekopf, and Liz Kelly, in conjunction with the participants. The participants donate as much of their own money while fundraising as possible. All funds go directly to further the Alzheimer’s Association’s care, support, and research efforts. Where better to implement events of this stature for good causes than the resilient and caring Fire Island and South Shore communities?
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of death in the United States. More than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with the disease and other forms of dementia. More than 426,500 people in New York are living with it.
“It’s because you walk that we can deliver 24/7 support. We are paving the way for a different future. We are making history,” Tinamarie Harekopf, Director of Development at the Alzheimer’s Association, explained to the eager participants.
The Alzheimer’s Association has dramatically helped the progression of finding ways to slow down and even developing possible cures for the disease that causes cognitive decline, memory loss, and changes in behavior. Just recently, at Stony Brook Hospital on Long Island, the first infusion procedures to treat patients with Alzheimer’s took place. It has never been done before and is a massive breakthrough in the hope of one day finding a way to cure it. “A majority of these treatments aren’t available to most people; that’s why these walks take place,” a prideful Harekopf said.
Besides witnessing the community come together for a great cause, the best part of the entire day was the Promise Garden Flower ceremony. Every participant was granted a flower, which varied in color and was unique to that person and their connection to Alzheimer’s disease. Orange flowers represent those supporting the cause and the association’s vision for a world without Alzheimer’s, and yellow represents someone supporting someone with the disease. A purple flower is for those who lost someone to the disease, and blue represents someone living with it. Everyone raised their flowers in the air, joining their stories, battles, and lost loved ones together before they embarked on the walk, just as they joined together to raise money to create a better future.
The hope is one day to introduce a white flower to the garden, which will represent someone who has beaten Alzheimer’s. Continuing to hold and expand these walks will help contribute to the potential end of Alzheimer’s.
A large part of that is leading future generations in the right direction. It was evident that the kindness and good-hearted nature of the Fire Island community had already begun to impact that future generation on Sunday at the walk when the participants walked past a young boy near the middle of the town. The boy had rallied up his younger siblings and sold handmade pot holders of all colors for five dollars. “Pot holders only five dollars; all proceeds are being donated,” he yelled as everyone ushered past him. He could be heard explaining to his younger brother why they were not keeping the money for themselves but instead donating it to the Alzheimer’s walk. “Why?” the younger brother asked. “It’s the right thing to do; it’s for a good cause and helping people, he explained.
The more who join the fight against Alzheimer’s, the greater the outcome will be. You can help the fight by making next year’s Fire Island Alzheimer’s Walk even bigger.
Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. In New York, more than 426,000 people are living with the disease and 543,000 caregivers. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises funds for research initiatives and for care and support programs.Across Nassau and Suffolk County, the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter is here to help families, caregivers, health care professionals and those living with the disease. The chapter helps all those facing Alzheimer’s and other dementias by providing support groups and educational resources while advancing crucial research and public policy initiatives. To learn more, visit alz.org/longisland or call our free 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
