We Walk Because Love Never Forgets

It is officially Walk to End Alzheimer's season! Last night the Indy Walk had its North Side kick-off, which is the start of Walk season where Team Captains can come meet Association staff members, committee members, and other team captains, as well as share fundraising ideas and tips. The kick-off was held at Oobatz (which has really good barbeque chicken pizza, fyi).

Look at all those fundraising goodies!

I've been to different cause walks and events recently (I went to Race for the Cure with ESA back in March, and tomorrow we have a team at the Fishers Relay for Life, which I'll be writing about as well), but the Walk to End Alzheimer's always has a special place in my heart. In addition to walking in memory of Grandpa and Granny, it is the event that got me started on volunteering, got me involved in the Association, and allowed me to meet some awesome people who are dedicated to ending Alzheimer's. 

I've been team captain of my family team, Team Angel, for 4 years (this is my 4th Walk! Crazy). I started Team Angel in Lafayette, while I was still at Purdue. We did the Lafayette Walk for two years, and when Mitchell and I moved to Noblesville, we did the Anderson Walk. This is year 2 for us in Anderson. I'm also on the Indy Walk Committee, planning, marketing, and securing sponsors for it. 

I love Walk season and the Walk in general. It is the fastest-growing of the different cause walks and races, and last year, Indy was one of the top 30 Walks nationwide. The Walk does an amazing job of raising funds for the Association and raising awareness for Alzheimer's. 

There are 14 Walks in Indiana. In addition to Indy, Anderson, and Lafayette, they are also held in Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Jasper, Kokomo, Merrillville, Michigan City, Richmond, South Bend, and Terre Haute. If you're in Indiana and want to be a part of the Walk, there is one near you that you can be involved in, either by walking, volunteering, or planning. 

One of my favorite parts of the Walk, and one that makes me tear up every time, is the opening ceremony. When you check in at the Walk, you're given a promise garden flower in one of 4 colors, blue, purple, yellow, and orange. Blue flowers are for those who have Alzheimer's, purple are for those who lost someone to Alzheimer's, yellow is for people currently caring for someone with Alzheimer's, and orange is for people who may not have a direct connection to the disease, but support the Association's mission of a world without Alzheimer's. 

Promise Garden flowers at the 2013 Indy Walk

During the opening ceremony, someone representing each flower speaks about their connection to Alzheimer's. After that, people with Alzheimer's are asked to raise their blue flower in the air and hold it high. People with purple flowers follow them, and then yellow, and finally orange, so that every flower is lifted into the air (if there's a good breeze, they start spinning). When I volunteered at the Indy Walk last year, it was amazing to see 4000 flowers in the air at Military Park, signifying 4000 people who are in the fight to end Alzheimer's. I've seen 4 opening ceremonies now, and it still brings me to tears every year. 

I am so very proud to be a part of the Walk to End Alzheimer's, as a team captain and as a committee member. The Walk is an amazing event, and if you're interested in being a part of or supporting Team Angel, you can check out our team page here. We walk for a world without Alzheimer's. We walk for many reasons, but most of all, we walk because love never forgets.