Skip to content

Surrey’s Walk for Alzheimer’s will ‘go ahead in a different way, perhaps virtually’

‘Please stay tuned for more information, but keep May 3 free in your calendar’
20730785_web1_200304-SUL-WalkAlzheimersSurrey-walk_1
Participants at the 2017 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s held at Eaglequest Golf at Coyote Creek in Surrey. (Submitted photo)

** This story has been updated

An annual walk that supports people affected by dementia won’t take place in Surrey as planned.

The 2020 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s was set for Sunday, May 3 at Eaglequest Golf at Coyote Creek, but the event won’t be held that day due to COVID-19 concerns.

“We are committed to coming together and having this event go ahead in a different way, perhaps virtually,” Cathryn France, the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s director of resource development, said in a news release Tuesday (March 17). “Please stay tuned for more information, but keep May 3 free in your calendar.”

The regional event, one of 22 that had been planned in B.C. that day, covers the Surrey/White Rock/North Delta area. Details are posted to walkforalzheimers.ca.

The walk, the “flagship fundraiser” for the Alzheimer Society of B.C., “provides a meaningful way for White Rock, North Delta and Surrey residents to celebrate and remember people in their lives who have been affected by dementia and raise critical funds and awareness within the community.”

• RELATED STORY, from 2019: Case of missing B.C. senior with Alzheimer’s renews call for Silver Alert.

Funds raised at the Surrey event benefit Alzheimer Society of B.C. efforts “to provide support and education programs that directly benefit White Rock, North Delta and Surrey residents.”

CLICK HERE for more details and to register.

Dementia is a term that describes a general group of brain disorders, the society notes. Symptoms include the loss of memory, impaired judgment, and changes in behaviour and personality. Dementia is progressive, degenerative and eventually terminal.

• RELATED STORY: More patients are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at an earlier age.

Meantime, Brain Awareness Week is marked from March 16 to 22.

“The prevalence of dementia is on the rise, and while researchers are working toward finding a cure and effective treatments, we can take steps to protect our brain health,” said Maria Howard, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

“There is strong and growing evidence that shows that key lifestyle changes such as regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, socialization and lifelong learning not only help lower the risk of dementia but also maintain or improve brain function as we age.”

Dementia develops when the risk factors for the disease combine and reach a level that overwhelms the brain’s ability to maintain and repair itself. While there is no guarantee, reducing as many of the risk factors as you can will keep your brain as healthy and strong as possible as you age.

To get started, try learning a new hobby or language, volunteer in your community, join a book club, walk around the block a few times a week, get enough sleep, and try five minutes of daily meditation to help lower your stress level.

For more tips and information about brain health, visit alzbc.org/brain-health. Those with questions about dementia or memory loss can call the First Link Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram and follow Tom on Twitter



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
Read more