Humboldt County Seeks Volunteers for Annual Walk to End Alzheimer's

More than 3,500 people in Humboldt and Del Norte counties are living with Alzheimer's disease, a number the Alzheimer's Association projects will climb past 5,000 within the next decade. To build the volunteer force needed to confront that growth, the organization is hosting a Walk to End Alzheimer's Volunteer Kick Off on Tuesday, March 24, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the College of the Redwoods Foundation office at 527 D St. in Eureka.

The hour-long meeting will cover the basics of the Alzheimer's Association, what the Walk to End Alzheimer's involves, and how attendees can plug in. Organizers say flexibility is built into every role: whether a volunteer has one hour a month or five, the association can match them to an appropriate commitment.

The kick-off leads up to Humboldt County's 11th annual Walk to End Alzheimer's, set for Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Planning for the event is driven by a volunteer committee working alongside a staff partner, with subcommittees covering team retention, team recruitment, sponsorship, advocacy, logistics, mission, and marketing. That committee meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Kim Coelho, Senior Community Engagement Manager for the Alzheimer's Association, framed the stakes in personal terms. "With one in three seniors being diagnosed with a dementia related illness, this is a disease that is going to impact everyone," Coelho said. "Folks that are battling this disease and their family members need to know that there is local support, that they are not alone."

The national picture reinforces the urgency. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, with more than 6 million Americans currently living with the disease. More than 11 million family members and friends serve as unpaid caregivers. The lifetime risk for Alzheimer's starting at age 45 is one in five for women and one in 10 for men.