Manteo walkers
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RITA BAHN, development director, Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc. is shown with Al Forman, at Roanoke Island Festival Park at the 2010 Dare County Alzheimer’s Walk. They are pictured at Roanoke Island one of the two locations for the recent walk. Forman was honorary chairman of the walk.
Dare County holds Alzheimer’s Walk
Walkers came out to participate in the 2010 Dare County Alzheimer’s Walk to show support for friends and families touched by the disease, as well as to remember and honor those who have lost their lives to it.
The walk was a Dare County collaborative effort to increase community awareness and to support those affected by the disease, along with their family care givers.
Partnering sponsors included Dare County, Dare County Department of Public Health’s Home Health and Hospice and Dare Respite Care programs, Dare County Older Adult Services and Dare County Parks and Recreation.
Two simultaneous walks were held on Saturday, April 24 – one in Manteo at Roanoke Island Festival Park, and the other in Buxton at the Fessenden Center.
Walkers were invited to participate as individuals or as part of a team. Participants were encouraged to ask family, friends and co-workers to sponsor their efforts by making a tax deductible donation to Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc. The most funds raised by a team were recognized with gold medals. Medals were awarded to the top individuals at each location.
Local businesses showed support for those in the community affected by Alzheimer’s disease by participating at various sponsorship levels including gold, silver and bronze. Gold sponsors included Dare County Farm Bureau, Roanoke Island Festival Park and the Fessenden Center. Silver sponsors included Spring Arbor – Outer Banks and Rita’s Ice Custard Happiness. Bronze sponsorship was provided by Britthaven of the Outer Banks, The Outer Banks Hospital, Outer Banks Tees, Indian Town Gallery and Tower Circle Motel. Exhibitors from Spring Arbor, GEM, ResCare Homecare and Sentara Nursing Center also participated in the Manteo walk by sharing information on their facilities and/or supportive services.
Funds raised by the walk went to Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc. (formerly the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association). Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc. serves 51 counties in eastern North Carolina, providing education, programs and patient and family assistance to thousands of families – many of those being served by these programs and services reside in Dare County.
Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc. worked closely with Dare Respite Care to bring the first walk under their new name to the Outer Banks. Dare Respite Care initiated the county collaborative efforts to sponsor the walk as a number of clients served by the respite program have Alzheimer’s of some other form of dementia. Dare Respite Care is a volunteer family support program. Volunteers provide brief, periodic breaks to those caring for an elderly loved one who, due to frailty, illness or disability, cannot completely care for themselves.
Donations in the name of Alzheimer’s North Carolina Inc may be mailed to Stephanie Bowers, Dare County Department of Public Health, P.O. Box 1000, Manteo, N.c. 27954. For information on the respite care program or how to become a volunteer, contact Bowers at 475-5057.