Walking For Memories

Alzheimer's Disease affects millions of people in America each year. In fact, many people associate Alzheimer's with the normal process of aging, but the disease is anything but normal.

My grandfather was a great man. He was very confident and had a strong mind when it came to watching the financial market and business in general. He was an inspiration in my life, especially after the first symptoms of Alzheimer's began to show up.

Looking back, I didn't realize it at the time, but I first noticed something was wrong when my wife and I were visiting him in Southern California. He spent the entire afternoon showing us old photographs and telling us every story that went with each and every picture. I realize now that he was trying to keep his memories intact by visiting each and every one of them every chance he got.

The Alzheimer's Association is holding the Memory Walk, the nation's largest event for raising money and awareness for Alzheimer's research. The Memory Walk is held annually in towns all across America, and while it allows us all to come together for a great charitable cause, it also allows us to remember those we have lost to the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

It's up to us to help find better treatments, or even a cure, so visit the Memory Walk site and sign up early to walk or even be a team Captain. If you can't walk, you can volunteer by helping to plan activities before or after the walk, or even standing on the sidelines cheering for those who are walking.

My grandfather passed away a few years ago, and I miss him dearly. One way I can remember him though, is by walking in the Memory Walk and reliving the memories he held so dear.