The Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is back at the zoo for 2021

The Alzheimer’s Association is gearing up for an exciting event coming in October! If you are an animal lover and are passionate about fighting Alzheimer’s disease, you are in luck, because the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter has the perfect event for you.

The Cleveland Walk to End Alzheimer’s presented by the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health & Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and GIE Media Inc. will be returning to the participant-favorite location of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Sunday, Oct 3. The goal for the event is to raise $440,000 for Alzheimer’s research and local support and care services – 40% of which has already been raised.

“Not only are we ready to be together in person once again, but our participants have made it clear to us their excitement, as well,” Tyler Adams, Director, Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the Cleveland Area Chapter said. “And the excitement surrounding us being back at the zoo is definitely noticeable.”

Each participant in attendance will receive an admission wristband for the zoo, meaning they are welcome to spend the afternoon taking in the sights of elephants, koala bears, cheetahs, and many other animals onsite that day following the Walk’s events. Adams does encourage participants to use their season passes if they have them, however.

“In partnership with the zoo, the Alzheimer’s Association is happy to give each participant the opportunity for a free zoo visit, but we do encourage a self-donation of at least $20 to help us maximize our fundraising efforts,” Adams said. “Anyone with a season pass for the zoo can also help those efforts by using their pass instead of one of the wristbands we provide.”

With health and safety of its participants continually at the top of list of priorities for the Alzheimer’s Association, the Walk will feature more hand sanitizer stations, limited tents to discourage large gatherings, encourage masks, and other changes – most of which will not impact the overall experience of the event.

“For seasoned Walk participants, this should feel and look like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s you’ve come to know and love,” Adams said.

Adams noted registration and donation drop off is strongly encouraged ahead of the Walk, and the addition of new methods will encourage more participants to use their personal devices to register and donate.

Adams stated, “Be sure to download and get familiar with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s mobile app ahead of Oct. 3. We’ll be leaning on the use of personal devices to limit on-site contact, which may result in a slight learning curve for some.”

Alongside an in-person gathering, the Alzheimer’s Association will provide alternative virtual options, which will allow participants to experience the Walk to End Alzheimer’s from anywhere. This includes an enhanced mobile app with an augmented reality Promise Garden, a virtual opening and Promise Garden ceremony, and a virtual Walk route.

This year’s event co-chairs are Chelsae Poelking, Quality Systems Engineer, Integra LifeSciences, and Mike Moscarino, Owner, MJM Solutions, LLC.

People can go to act.alz.org/cleveland to register for the event. Adams encouraged participants to download the Walk to End Alzheimer’s app for additional tools.

The Cleveland Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one of four Walks the Cleveland Area Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is having this year. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in Ohio and the United States. For more information, please visit alz.org.

Register for one of the four Judson teams below!

Judson Manor team: http://act.alz.org/goto/JudsonManor

Judson Park team: http://act.alz.org/goto/JudsonPark

South Franklin Circle team: http://act.alz.org/goto/SouthFranklinCircle

Judson at Home team: http://act.alz.org/goto/JudsonAtHome