Stars Start Countdown To Record Breaking Dementia Fundraiser, UK

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 27 Aug 2007 - 17:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Actress Sally Lindsay and broadcaster Tania Bryer proved you don't always need boots for walking as they launched the countdown to the Alzheimer's Society's annual fundraiser, Memory Walk. The pair, both Alzheimer's Society ambassadors, were joined on London's South Bank by MP Boris Johnson who discovered the charity's walking fundraiser could just be the perfect antidote to life without a bicycle.

Sally, Tania and Boris stepped out last Thursday with just a month to go until Memory Walk on Sunday 23 September when thousands of people will join fundraising walks across the country. Sally and Tania are taking part in the fundraiser in memory of relatives who had dementia. Sally's grandmother and Tania's father both died with Alzheimer's disease.

Sally, says,

'Memory Walks are such a positive way of helping people with dementia and their carers. There are so many different kinds of Memory Walks to choose from, to suit all ages, so you don't have to be an Olympic athlete. You just have to want to make a difference to the lives of the 700,000 people with dementia and the millions more who care for them.'

Tania, adds,

'Last year my beloved father, Lionel, died with Alzheimer's disease. Memory Walks are a wonderful way of remembering all those affected by dementia, a terrible condition that robs a person of their identity and ultimately their life. By getting involved, you will enable the Alzheimer's Society to provide care services, information and research funding for a condition that will affect nearly a million of us in less than 20 years.'
People with dementia and their carers, some carrying photographs of loved ones affected by the condition, also arrived for the countdown to Memory Walk which is expected to attract more than 10,000 people nationwide next month. More than 250 walks are planned at venues including football stadiums, historic homes and a seaside pier, all to raise crucial funds for people with dementia and their carers.

Boris, says,

''Alzheimer's disease, and any form of dementia, is such a cruel disease. One in three older people in our country will end their lives with a form of dementia. That's why I'm delighted to be here today to support the Alzheimer's Society. I'll even get off my bike to support the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walks and I'm encouraging others to do the same!'

Families can join this year's Memory Walk by taking part in a regional event or even organising their own 'do-it-yourself' fundraiser. Why not return to a favourite beauty spot or your local park? Supporters can register their own route or join Memory Walk closest to them.

For more information visit http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/memorywalk

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk