The 2016 Alzheimer’s Walk, “A Walk to Remember” will be at Westgate Park in Dothan on Saturday, Oct. 1, and teams are being formed for the annual walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Resource Center that serves a large area in Southeast Alabama that includes Pike County.

Ann Marie Hussey, leader of the Alzheimer’s Support Group in Troy, said several teams from Troy and Pike County walked in the 2015 Walk to Remember in honor and memory of family members and friends who suffered from the degenerative disease of the brain.

“Alzheimer’s robs its victims of their memory and cognitive abilities,” Hussey said. “Family members are greatly affected by this disease as their loved one slowly fades away from them.”

The Alzheimer’s Resource Center in Dothan is there to provide assistance and support to the families of Alzheimer’s victims.

“I know from personal experience how valuable that support is,” Hussey said. “That’s why I’m such a dedicated supporter of ‘A Walk to Remember.’ Alzheimer’s is a journey that you don’t want to make alone. With the Alzheimer’s Resource Center just an hour away. I didn’t have to make that journey alone. The center was there with me every step of the way when my dad, Ray Hickman, was a victim Alzheimer’s.”

The goal of the 2016 “A Walk to Remember” is $100,000. Of the amount raised, only one office salary will be paid at the resource center in Dothan.

“Every other dollar will be used to educate caregivers and to support research into this devastating disease,” Hussey said.

A Walk to Remember is a walker’s choice 1-mile, 3-mile or 5-mile walk-a-thon with teams of two or more walkers participating.

“Hopes are that we will again have several teams to walk,” Hussey said. “Teams are made up of family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who want to show their love and support for ‘their’ victim of Alzheimer’s and also for all of those who suffer from the disease.”

Teams are encouraged to wear identical T-shirts, carry signs or banners, to be creative and have fun.

Those who would like to register a team may call the Alzheimer’s Resource Center at 334-702-2273 or 888-702-8689 or register online at wesharethecare.org

Sponsorships are also available for the 2016 Walk to Remember. The sponsorships begin with the $250 supporter sponsorship and increase. With each increasing level of sponsorship, there are additional recognitions.

Information about “A Walk to Remember” sponsorships is available at the Alzheimer’s Resource Center.

Locally, anyone who would like to make a donation to the walk may do so by sending a check to the Alzheimer’s Resource Center, 403 Childs Road, Troy, AL 36010.