BANGOR, Maine — On Saturday morning, the Bangor waterfront was filled with those whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s disease. Dozens of walkers and volunteers joined for the "Walk to End Alzheimer’s" organized by the Alzheimer’s Association’s Maine chapter.
The event, which included an opening ceremony followed by a three-mile stroll, was geared toward fundraising.
“That’s what we’re here today for...to celebrate, to support each other, and understand why we’re raising the money,” Jessica Gale, an organizer, said.
For many gathered under the overcast sky, it was a chance to reflect on what it means to have a loved one suffer from this devastating disease.
“It’s a long battle. It’s a long journey, and you can’t do it alone,” Jennifer Fogel, whose husband struggles with Alzheimer’s, said before the walk began.
Others, like Rachel Severance, who lost her grandmother in 2018, see the walk as an exercise in family bonding.
“When she passed, we made it our mission to do this walk every year. It has been a fun thing to rally our family together,” Severance said.
Of the many hardships the loved ones of those with Alzheimer’s face, this year’s walk comes with an added sense of hope. In July, the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to a drug, Lecanemab, that has shown some benefits in slowing the rate of the disease among some patients in clinical trials. Although this is still a far cry from a cure, it has brought attention to other tools intended to improve outcomes.
“We want to increase awareness, educate the public, and increase detection and diagnosis,” Jill Carney, the director of public policy for Maine’s chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said on Saturday.
To those involved in Saturday’s walk, the victories were simpler. To Rachel Severance, it was a feeling.
“You see everyone else and how they’re impacted, and you don’t feel so alone.”