In the News

About 700 Wabash Valley residents took part in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sunday at Terre Haute’s Fairbanks Park. This year’s event has raised about $55,000 so far. Donations will be accepted until mid-December so this year’s goal of $70,000 in donations is within reach, said Thomas Benoist, development specialist for the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Both the number of participants and the amount raised are on par with last year, though more teams were represented in this year’s walk, Benoist said. Two people who spoke to the walkers to kick off the event, Kyle Simpson of Edward Jones, national presenting sponsor for the walk, and Indiana Congressman Larry Bucshon, have or have had personal connections with the disease. Simpson’s grandfather died in February.  “But, as many of you are aware who have lived through or are going through [the disease], the reality is we lost grandpa much earlier than that,” he said. “It makes me so much more aware of just how much it terrorizes families and those that we love.” 8th District Rep. Bucshon said he has an aunt in her mid-50s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and a great aunt with the disease. “My role in Washington, D.C. is to try to get more money for you all,” he said. “We’ve had successes.” Bucshon was recognized for co-sponsoring bills which led to paid cognitive and functional assessments and care planning for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments, as well as training to increase the number of medical personnel certified in palliative and hospice care. “It is critically important for people to advocate to your legislators in Washington and in your state and to come to Washington, if you have not done that, and meet with us and tell us your story,” he said. “It really does make a big difference.” Edward Jones helps clients create and manage wealth and is “in a unique position to literally walk an Alzheimer’s path with our client,” Simpson said. “It’s a path that demonstrates the disease does just the opposite of our mission. It damages relationships with friends and family and destroys the finances of the individual and families.” About 110,000 Hoosiers are among the 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.