The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting Minot-area residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Aug. 29.

Instead of hosting a large gathering, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging participants to walk as individuals or in small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails across the area.

“This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be everywhere,” said Sue Spalding, CEO of the Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter, Alzheimer’s Association. “The pandemic is changing how we walk, but it doesn’t change the need to walk. This year, more than ever, we need to come together to support all those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia. With the dollars raised, the Alzheimer’s Association can continue to provide care and support to families during these difficult times while also advancing critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention.”

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s-Minot will be sponsored by Marketplace Foods, Hometown Radio Group and Strata Corporation. On walk day, an opening ceremony will take place online at 10 a.m. and a presentation of Promise Flowers to honor the personal reasons participants are joining the event will be delivered via smartphones, tablets and computers.

A small group of Alzheimer’s Association staff and volunteers will create the iconic Promise Garden in a “view only” format on walk day at Oak Park to honor all those impacted by Alzheimer’s. The Promise Garden will be available for viewing from 9 a.m. to noon.

To enhance the participant experience leading up to the event and on walk day, new features are being added to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s mobile app to create an opportunity for the community to connect. Participants can use the app and new “Walk Mainstage” to track their steps and distance, follow a virtual Walk path, manage their Facebook fundraisers, and access information and resources from the association and walk sponsors to help individuals and families affected by the disease. A new audio track is available to encourage participants along the way and to congratulate them upon completion of their walk.

“Alzheimer’s is not stopping and neither are we,” said Emily Bultema of the Alzheimer’s Association, North Dakota. “The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will go on, and we are working to ensure all of our volunteers and participants involved will remain healthy and safe. We have an amazing community dedicated to our cause and are confident this will be an incredible event.”

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In North Dakota alone, there are more than 14,000 people living with the disease and more than 30,000 caregivers.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit: alz.org/walk.