“Sea of ​​Flowers” ​​is fighting for a cure at Walk to End Alzheimer’s

SIOUX FALLS, SD (Dakota News Now) – The Alzheimer's Association of South Dakota held its annual Walk to End Alzheimer's in Sioux Falls on Saturday morning.

The event raised funds to support the association's work in advocacy, care, support and research.

“It's an inspiring day. It is by far the most hopeful time we have ever had with this disease, and today was a culmination of that,” said Leslie Morrow, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of South Dakota.

Hope could be just around the corner.

It's been a long battle for everyone at the Alzheimer's Association, including Morrow.

“This is my eleventh year with the Alzheimer's Association and when I started, we had no ability to change the course of this disease. We were just treating the symptoms, and that changed about a year and a half ago, two years ago, and now we have treatments that address the underlying cause of this disease,” Morrow explained.

Thousands of families in the state of South Dakota are affected by Alzheimer's disease, which is best seen in the flowers in the crowd.

A garden represented people caring for loved ones with the illness, having lost a loved one to the illness, living with the illness, or supporting the cause.

Dr. Lucas J. Hamilton lost his grandmother to Alzheimer's disease when he began studying aging in graduate school.

Since then he has been volunteering and collecting money for the club and becomes part of the “Champions Club” on Friday evenings.

“I think about losing my grandmother, of course, and I don't want my children to have the same story with their grandparents or for their children to have that story with me. As someone who researches this disease, the value of a community coming together and working toward a cure cannot be underestimated,” said Dr. Hamilton.

Looking through a sea of ​​purple shirts and flowers held high, there was optimism that the momentum could lead to a healing.

A white flower symbolized the first survivor.

“It shows me that it's not just my story, that it's a collective story that we all have, and if you look around, that's the reason we're all here,” said Dr. Hamilton.

Morrow and Hamilton know this moment was important, but it could be just the beginning of the hope that rises from the ground they marched on.

“We have entered the era of treatment. It’s a new day,” Morrow said. “It is a time of change and everyone who was here today and donated to this cause that raised awareness is all a part of it.”

Morrow mentioned that attendance at the Sioux Falls Walk to End Alzheimer's 2024 could potentially reach a record.

The Alzheimer's Association's fundraising goal is $333,000 by the end of the year.

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