Despite the rain on Saturday, thousands came out to the J.B. Coxwell Amphitheater at the University of North Florida for Walk to End Alzheimer’s Jacksonville. The event raised funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s, a disease impacting one in eight older adults in Florida.
Participants included Lindsay Amerault and her father, James, who is living with Alzheimer’s. Amerault lost her mother to Alzheimer’s in 2019 and now serves as a caregiver for her father.
“One step and just one day at a time, I’m walking to end Alzheimer’s,” said Amerault. “I’m a caregiver, a daughter, a sister, a stepmom, a wife. I’m walking for everyone who may encounter this journey moving forward.”
Kevin and Susan Murphy walked for Kevin’s mother living with Alzheimer's.
“We just learned a lot in the last year and how life changing it is for families, not only the person that has it but everyone around them,” said Kevin Murphy at the Walk. “We wanted to come here and support.”
More than 17,000 Duval County residents age 65 and older are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease that impacts thinking, memory and behavior. Florida has the second largest number of people living with the disease in the U.S. and 840,000 unpaid dementia caregivers.
At the Walk, participants carried flowers representing their connection to Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Blue means someone is living with the disease, yellow is for caregivers, purple for those who have lost someone and orange shows solidarity in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
Lynn Baltz carried the yellow flower as a caregiver for her sister, Sharon, living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.
“I have walked by Sharon’s side from her first doctor’s appointment to her eventual diagnosis,” said Baltz. “She still has so much life left to live. I hope and pray every day for a cure to be found in time.”
At the Walk, participants gathered for a ceremony led by Anthony Austin from First Coast News. Speakers shared the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s, the importance of continued research, care and support outreach, and the hope it brings.
New treatments have become available that, for the first time ever, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s for those in the early stages. Lecanemab received traditional FDA approval in 2023 and Donanemab received approval in July 2024. Both treatments have been shown to impact the underlying biology of the disease, giving families more time with loved ones.
To date, Walk participants have raised more than $300,000 to benefit care, support, research, advocacy and awareness initiatives through the Alzheimer’s Association Central & North Florida Chapter. Donations are still being accepted for Walk to End Alzheimer’s through Dec. 31. Donate or learn more at alz.org/JacksonvilleWalk.
