POLK COUNTY, Fla. — At Bonnet Springs Park this Saturday, hundreds of walkers will come together with one mission: ending Alzheimer’s.
For Tari Kezele, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is deeply personal. She’s walking in memory of her aunt, a woman she said was full of life until dementia took over.
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“It’s a very ugly disease. You slowly see the person that you know and love disappear. You look into their eyes and the person that you knew is no longer there,” Kezele said.
She watched her aunt struggle with the confusion and the fear that comes with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, until she ultimately passed away.
“You see them get frustrated with not being able to remember things and then you see some temperament changes that come in,” Kezele said.
Kezele is joining hundreds at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Polk County, hoping her steps help bring change.
Florida has the second-highest number of people living with the disease in the U.S., including 17,900 in Polk County, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
“There are so many people who are suffering from this disease, and they feel very alone. It’s very isolating and a lot of people feel a lot of solitude and so when you come here and you see how many people have been affected by the disease you know you’re not alone,” said Natalie Aviles, Walk to End Alzheimer’s Manager.
Every participant helps fuel support services and lifesaving research.
Kezele said she will keep walking every year until there is a cure and hopes her story inspires others to join the fight.
“We want to get rid of this disease. We want everybody out here in our community to come walk with us to help us raise funds so that we can put the awareness out there. We can get the education out there about it, and we can also do research to make sure that this doesn’t affect future generations,” Kezele said.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s is happening Saturday, Dec. 6 at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. with a ceremony at 9 a.m.. The Walk will immediately follow. You can find more information or register online here.
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