The annual Walk for Alzheimer’s is coming to Bracebridge and Huntsville on May 25 and 26, aiming to raise $95,000 in support of local dementia care.
The Alzheimer’s Society of Muskoka relies on fundraising for about 40 per cent of its operating costs, so the walk plays a big role in fulfilling that need. Last year’s walk surpassed its goal of $75,000, so with a new location and an increase in staff and programming costs, they’re setting their sights on raising $95,000 this year. Kicking off at noon, the walk will be held at Memorial Park in Bracebridge on May 25 and River Mill Park in Huntsville on May 26. Though the fundraising is crucial, the team behind the event wants to keep the focus on the people, not the money.
“We want you to be involved just to help show the people that we serve that they’re not alone,” said Pamela Leeder, interim executive director for the Alzheimer’s Society of Muskoka. “This is an event, let’s have fun and enjoy ourselves and really show our community what we’re all about.”
The team at the Alzheimer’s Society of Muskoka wants to make the event like a party, so each walk will begin with a barbeque, include a performance from Charlie McKittrick Music and offer prizes for the top teams. Leeder said she and her team know the current economic situation makes it hard for people to give their money and time, but whether or not they walk, she invites locals to come out and enjoy the day.
There are over 300,000 people in Ontario living with dementia, and that number is expected to triple over the next 30 years. Rates are increasing locally as well. The Muskoka chapter of the Alzheimer’s Society has a growing client base of over 800 people, and some people don’t access services due to stigma and other limitations.
“We are actually now seeing more younger onset dementia in our community as well, so it’s not just an elderly disease, and it affects more than just the individuals who are diagnosed in terms of what happens in the future,” Leeder said. “It’s really increasing, and we’re going to see that in our communities.”
As the prevalence of the disease increases, the Alzheimer’s Society of Muskoka strives to do more for their clients, she said. Fundraising means more money for direct client support, so it means a lot to them to see the results of the walk each year.
For Leeder, it’s been her career to “live and breathe dementia care” for over 20 years, but it’s not just a job. She walks for the people in her life with dementia and the people she’s met through the Alzheimer’s Society who now feel like family.
“It’s not just about my professional life, this is part of my personal life as well,” Leeder said. “It’s not easy going through that journey with somebody, but the true message is nobody is alone in the dementia journey.”
Part of helping people feel less alone is reducing the stigma around dementia. Leeder said community partners contribute to that goal by showing up to events and donating to fund their work, just as IG Wealth Management and dozens of other sponsors are doing for the walk.
“To have those sponsorships and to be able to say these are our community partners who recognize dementia as something that they want to support tells the people that we serve you’re not alone,” she said. “It’s not just the Alzheimer’s Society who is supportive of their journey, it’s the community as well.”
Steacie LaChance, owner and operator of the local Weed Man and Mosquito Hero franchises, has been involved in the Walk for Alzheimer’s since 2019. She’s been running the business for 15 years after taking over from her parents.
“We have a franchise name, but I do consider us family-run and operated,” LaChance said. “It’s been my family for the last 36 years, so I feel very much that it’s our name out there as much as it is Weed Man. It’s a privilege to be so established in our community, to have a successful company, and I think with that privilege comes the responsibility to give back.”
When LaChance was a child, her parents worked for a bank, which meant moving around often to climb the ranks. After falling in love with Huntsville, the Weed Man franchise was a way for her parents to plant roots in Muskoka, leading to over three decades of business.
She gets her business and her dedication to giving back from them. Her dad Gary is busier in retirement than he ever was at work.
“He’s always been the first one to line up and lend a hand,” she said.
LaChance also tries to keep her support local whenever possible. She and her team donate to local golf tournaments, camps and more. She’s hoping to put together a large group of staff to walk in the event, though it does come at one of their busiest times of year.
Whether or not they’re able to muster up much of a group, they’ve already contributed financially to Leeder’s team, and LaChance will be there ready to represent. She has family members with Alzheimer’s, so for her, it’s a great way to honour them while supporting Muskoka residents who live with the same difficulties of dementia.
“It goes back to you support the community that you live in,” she said. “When I’m walking, it might not be supporting those family members directly who are in other parts of the country, but you know you’re making a difference locally.”
To register for the event or get more information, visit the Walk for Alzheimer’s website.