SHU Raises Awareness, Funds to Fight Alzheimer’s

SHU community raises nearly $8,000 to help eliminate the illness

More than 230 people from Sacred Heart University’s community walked around the center of campus on Oct. 22 in SHU’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising $7,941 for research, patient care and support.

The University’s volunteer programs & service learning (VPSL) office and the College of Health Professions co-sponsored the event. According to Annie Wendel, VPSL director, students, staff, faculty and their families and friends were invited to participate and donate to the cause. Members of a variety of SHU clubs, organizations, programs and athletic teams also registered to participate.

The Promise Garden Ceremony, just one of many features that took place during the walk, was emotional. Participants were asked to raise a flower with a specific color symbolizing the loss of a loved one, caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or a general show of support for the cause.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which takes place with the Alzheimer’s Association’s backing, occurs annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, including SHU, and it is the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease. More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and more than 11 million family and friends provide unpaid care for them.

“This event not only enabled the SHU community to gather in memory of loved ones who were lost to this disease or who are currently struggling with it, but also to share hope for a cure for the future,” Wendel said.