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MADISON, Wisconsin – In good weather, people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the region are determined to raise funds and raise awareness.
"We need to find a cure," said Juli Moen, whose mother, Nan Lazarz, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a year ago. "My mother is great. She has a smile on her face every day. She's just doing her thing. She is inspiring, herself, as she continues to have a positive attitude and she is going from the front. "
Lazarz's family came to support her on Sunday morning at Memorial High School in Madison as part of the Walk to Eliminate Alzheimer's Disease.
"Very happy with that," said Lazarz.
About 1,000 people walking in the same shoes as Lazarz and his family braved the rain for the march, which, according to the organizers, is the largest since the beginning of the event in the 80s.
"They are here to find joy where otherwise it could be a depressing situation.I feel inspired," said Kari Paterson, executive director of the Wisconsin South-South section of the Alzheimer's Association. "I'm cold, but I'm inspired by the number of people present despite the mild weather conditions. It shows how much it affects them. "
In good fall weather, the flowers bloom. The participants each received a garden flower, with different colors symbolizing different links to the cause.
The orange flowers were for the general supporters. The blue flowers were for people with dementia or Alzheimer's, a disease so common that, according to the Alzheimer's Association, a new diagnosis is established every 65 seconds.
The yellow flowers were for guards or those who had a loved one with the disease. Purple flowers mean that you have lost a loved one.
"Our flowers have changed color this year," said Tana Dreier. "We walked 11 years with yellow and they went purple this year."
Her family has lost a mother and a grandmother in the past year and now she is walking to keep her memory alive.
"She would be really proud," said Ali Garza. "It gives us hope that not everyone will have to suffer this fate for their loved one, and we will find a cure and nobody will have to do it again."
The goal of the walk was to raise $ 200,000. Sunday afternoon, they had reached 177,000 dollars.
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