This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kenyon chapter.

Year: 2018

Major: Art History

Minor: Classics

Hometown: Upper Arlington, Ohio

Hey Julie, thanks for talking to Her Campus Kenyon! I understand that you’re a team captain for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Columbus that’s coming up soon—when and where is the event?

The Walk is September 25 at Huntington Park—the baseball stadium in downtown Columbus. Registration starts at noon and there will be an opening ceremony where they acknowledge the cause and the top teams, as well as a ceremony where you raise flowers that symbolize your relationship to the disease—caregiver, supporter, patient, and advocate.

How long is the Walk itself?

The Walk is 1.25 miles and it starts at 2:15 after the Opening Ceremonies.

Can you tell me a bit more about the flower ceremony?

The flower ceremony is at the end of the opening ceremony and it acknowledges the degree of separation that people have with Alzheimer’s. Different colored flowers symbolize your connection—people with blue flowers have the disease, people with purple flowers have lost a loved one to the disease, yellow is for caregivers, and orange represents those who have no immediate connection but want to see a world without Alzheimer’s.

How did you get involved in this event?

My dad was diagnosed in 2013 at the age of 51 with early-onset Alzheimer’s very out of the blue. He was a successful portfolio manager at an investment firm and we were taken by surprise. Since his diagnosis, my mom, my siblings, and myself have rallied behind him and the walk was a way that we thought would be a good way for us to not only deal with the disease in our own way, but support the cause for a cure. He was a caring and giving person and through the Walk, we believe that we can not only give to him, but to the research cause as well. We don’t want anyone else to have to go through what we are going through.

We also want to raise awareness for a disease that has no current cure and is basically a death sentence. The disease is scary to talk about, but through this walk and the cause, we can work to end the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s, in particular, and dementia as a whole.

What is the thing you’re most looking forward to for the event?

I’m most looking forward to the flower ceremony because as you raise up these flowers, everyone is holding a different color flower and you realize how connected we all are. Seeing all of my friends, family, and even people who we never expect to see come out and hold a flower is a very overwhelming feeling and just so amazing.

Do you have a goal in mind for the walk this year?

Last year Bill’s Buddies raised $52,000 and this year we’ve set a goal of $75,000. I realize that it’s a pretty lofty goal, but we’re also hoping to have more walkers than we did last year. Honestly, if we raise more money than we did last year, that’s something to be celebrated.

Is there anything you want people to understand about the disease?

If one of your loved ones is diagnosed, there are so many terrible things that come with it, but you can make things a little bit easier if you look at the positive things that can come from it as well. Pre-Alzheimer’s, my dad was very reserved and quiet, but when he was diagnosed he began to say hi to everyone, laugh all the time, and we just got to see a different side of him.

You also have the opportunity to really appreciate the memories that you have with them, even if they no longer remember themselves. As long as they know that they’re loved, that’s the most important thing.

If someone wants to donate or join your team, where would they go?

Go to the Columbus Walk to End Alzheimer’s website, and there will be the option to join the team or make a donation to Bill’s Buddies and Ganzhorn Gang. They can also go to this link.

Image Credit: Julie Dierker

Julie Dierker (’18) is Walking to Change Lives