Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Xi Mu Omega chapter are raising awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s by having a Longest Day Walk at 8:30 a.m. June 22 at Friendship Park.
Alzheimer’s affects 50 million people worldwide and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, every 65 seconds someone is the U.S. develops this disease, and there are more than five million Americans battling it.
For one of the organizers, Clara Bilal, this is even more personal. “My dad had it for 12 years and my mother had dementia,” she said.
The Longest Day Walk is a national event that is held on June 21 for the Alzheimer’s Association, but the local organizers decided to move it to Saturday, June 22 in hopes for a larger attendance. For more information, call Chapter President Valerie Webber at (601) 270-8380, Clara Bilal (601) 447-7672 or Annie Franklin (601) 674-0084.
