SCARBOROUGH, Maine — For almost 17 years, Gwen Basinger has been working with the Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter.
"I just can't say enough about it, it's just so wonderful!" Basinger said of the organization.
She got involved with the organization when she worked at an assisted living facility in Yarmouth and saw the disease up close.
"I worked there for over 10 years and I've sung for about 10 or 12 funerals," she said.
Since then, Basinger has participated in the Portland Walk to End Alzheimer's and has raised more than $20,000 over the years.
She knows how important it is to get all people involved in the fight to end Alzheimer's and other dementias. Especially because there are twice as many Black Americans fighting the disease as white Americans.
"I would like to try to encourage people of color to come up and join me," Basinger said.
Drew Wyman is the executive director of the Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter and said he and his team are trying to reach a more diverse pool of people so they can better support anyone who is diagnosed with the disease.
"We really need to understand better so we can get a proper understanding of how treatment and preventative measures can affect the entire population," Wyman said.
The Maine Chapter is holding a webinar on Wednesday so they can try to get more Mainers, especially Black Mainers, involved with clinical trials and other resources.
You can click here to register for the webinar.
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