Niverville’s Service to Seniors is hoping to give back in a big way by participating in the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s on June 1. The annual event will start at the Heritage Centre at 9:45 a.m. before following a route along Main Street to Fifth Avenue, ending in Hespeler Park around 12:30 p.m. where walkers will be greeted with a free barbecue lunch.

“This is something that [Service to Seniors] had been doing yearly previous to when I started,” says program coordinator Damien Gagné. “Last year, we tagged along with Steinbach’s walk and only a few people came.”

In 2018, a team from Steinbach called Stacey’s Mom Has Got it Going On raised more than $4,400 for the Society after having 50 people join their team when a family member was diagnosed with early onset atypical dysexecutive, a very fast progressing form of the disease.

Hoping for a bigger turnout this year, and to get more community members involved, Niverville is hosting its own walk, where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba. With more than $1,300 raised so far in online pledges, Gagné says they are aiming to raise $5,000.

Established 35 years ago, the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba helps raise awareness of the early signs of dementia and provides those affected with the help they need to have hope for the future.

According to recent statistics, more than 23,000 Manitobans have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and by 2038 this number is expected to rise to 40,700. Alzheimer’s and dementia affects families in every community and its economic burden to Manitobans adds up to more than a billion dollars. With the involvement and donations of our communities, the Society can work to provide appropriate care.

About 85% of the Society’s funding comes through donations from events such as this one.

The walk is happening province-wide throughout May and June, with individual communities hosting their own events. It’s an easy way to get involved and give back to help fight a disease that in one way or another impacts 56 percent of Manitobans.