This year’s Hunter Memory Walk & Jog at Teralba on May 21 will have particular resonance for one Newcastle and Lake Macquarie family.
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Lakelands 28-year-old Leah Johnson and her family will be walking for 89-year-old grandmother Joyce Warham.
“My grandma suffers from Alzheimer’s. She was one of eight siblings and six of them all had Alzheimer’s, so it’s pretty prominent in their family,” Ms Johnson said.
“With Alzheimer’s, as soon as you start talking to people about it you realise that so many other people have been affected with their family and friends also suffering. A lot of people can just relate to your story.”
It will be held at Tulkaba Park and raises funds for Alzheimer’s Australia NSW.
Register or find more information at www.memorywalk.com.au.
“We did it last year and it was a really great community event,” Ms Johnson said.
“A lot of people came who had family members affected in one way or another, so it was really nice just to have that time to share stories with other people going through similar journeys and open up a bit about it.”
Participants can take part in a three kilometre or 6.5km walk or run, and organisers are hoping to reach a nationwide fundraising target of $300,000 this year.
Alzheimer’s Australia is the charity for people with dementia and their families and carers. It provides advocacy, support services, education and information. An estimated 353,800 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to reach more than half a million by 2030.