Staff photo / Chris McBride Northeast Ohio Alzheimer’s Association Executive Director Melissa Shelton takes the microphone ahead of Saturday’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Watson and Tressel Training Site at Youngstown State University. She introduced the new white flower as a beacon of hope for the first Alzheimer’s survivor. The walk raised approximately $75,000 to fight the disease.

YOUNGSTOWN — The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the WATTS Center at Youngstown State University on Saturday morning united supporters who walked with flowers that reflected their personal connection to Alzheimer’s and to remember loved ones and support the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission.

The event raised about $75,000 toward the association’s $82,000 goal.

The Alzheimer’s Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, directs all funds to research, caregiving support and a 24-hour caregiver help line.

Participants walked either a 2.25-mile or 1-mile route around the Watson And Tressel Training Site with their steps symbolizing a collective push toward a future free of the devastating disease. Among the crowd, many held colorful flowers, each one representing a personal connection to Alzheimer’s disease.

Melissa Shelton, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Alzheimer’s Association, introduced a new white flower this year, symbolizing hope for the first survivor of Alzheimer’s.

Each color carried a deep meaning — blue for those living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, purple for those who have lost a loved one, yellow for caregivers and orange for supporters of the association’s mission.

The event united a diverse group, from family teams to corporate sponsors, all to support the AA’s care, support and research efforts.

Nickayla Brooks, program manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Greater East Ohio, talked about the walk’s significance as a “full-circle moment” for the community.

“It brings education, volunteers and fundraising together,” Brooks said. “We call it our biggest support group yet.”

She highlighted the association’s free resources, including educational programs, care consultations and support groups offered at libraries, YMCAs and workplaces across 16 counties.

Brooks also discussed the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s on underrepresented communities.

“African Americans are twice as likely to have a form of dementia, Hispanic Americans one-and-a-half times, and 2 of 3 people living with Alzheimer’s worldwide are women,” she said.

In her role, Brooks focuses on delivering free education and resources to these communities, fostering partnerships and recruiting volunteers to expand outreach.

In Ohio, Alzheimer’s affects 236,200 people 65 and older, with 452,000 unpaid caregivers providing care valued at $13.3 billion annually. The disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the state, claiming 4,953 lives in 2022 with a mortality rate of 42% — higher than the national average, according to statistics provided at the walk.

Mandy Miles, a walk committee member, volunteer and advocate, shared her personal connection to the cause. Having lost her grandmother and aunt to Alzheimer’s, Miles has been involved for more than a decade, starting as a team captain in Trumbull County and later coming face to face with state legislators for policy changes in Columbus.

“My family had to watch my grandmother 24 / 7 because she was a wanderer,” Miles said, recalling her and her family’s personal challenges of caregiving.

She now advocates for legislation such as a mandatory two-hour training for first responders to better handle dementia-related situations, a bill that successfully passed after her advocacy efforts.

Miles also shared a poignant memory of her grandmother, who, in a moment of clarity, saw her grandfather like new again and flirted with him as if meeting for the first time.

“You learn so much about their personality in those moments,” she said. “Don’t argue; just go with it and cherish the connection.”

As participants walked, their flowers swayed in the breeze as a symbol of a shared commitment to the cause.

“The more people know, the more they want to get involved,” Miles said. “That’s how we’ll make a difference.”

Advocates such as Miles are pushing for a public awareness campaign, sponsored by Reps. Jim Hoops and Rachel Baker, to educate Ohioans on early warning signs and improve health care practices for dementia care.