It's a walk for the community and a walk for a great cause.
The Birtle Personal Care Home is hosting an Alzheimer's walk and BBQ on Friday. The walk begins at 10:30 with the BBQ to follow at 12:00.
Tracey Howe works in the recreation department at the Care Home and is spearheading the festivities.
"We meet at Birtle Collegiate, then we walk to the Care Home," said Howe. "We're selling paper shoes for $2. The kids will decorate them, put their name on it, then put them on the wall at the Care Home."
More than 20,000 Manitobans currently live with Alzheimer's disease. That's expected to rise to over 39,000 by 2050. According to reports, there are nine new diagnoses of dementia every day in Manitoba.
About six in 100 seniors aged 65 and over in Manitoba live with dementia.
This is the second annual Walk for Alzheimer's run by the Birtle Personal Care Home. Last year was number one, and Howe was thrilled with the outcome.
"It went very well. We had all the kids come out to the BBQ," ended Howe. "We raised more than $1,000 for the Alzheimer's Society of Manitoba."
In Canada, approximately 750,000 people are living with the disease. Alzheimer's Awareness Month is in January, but at the Birtle Personal Care Home, Tracey is getting a head start. So if you're in the area, join in and raise money for an important cause.
