RALEIGH, N.C. — Nearly 2,000 people gathered in downtown Raleigh Saturday for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s, a visible demonstration of the disease's reach in North Carolina and a concentrated fundraising push to support research, diagnosis and caregiver services.
Large crowd, personal stories
Participants dressed in purple and carried pinwheels as they moved through the city, joining thousands of other communities nationwide staging similar walks. For many attendees, the event was intensely personal: volunteers and repeat participants spoke of family members currently living with—or lost to—the disease.
“Everybody's walking the same journey, different stages of their journey, different impacts on their family,”said volunteer Maureen Gilchrist, summarizing a common sentiment among walkers.
Michelle Lee, who marked her 15th consecutive Walk to End Alzheimer’s, said she participates in honor of her mother, grandmother and uncle. Lee described the event as both a fundraiser and a means to educate and reassure families coping with the disease: "To help educate people and help them understand that they're not alone in this."
Local impact and caregiving numbers
Organizers emphasized the scope of Alzheimer's disease across the state. Christine John-Fuller, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter, provided an account of the local burden:
- Nearly 211,000 North Carolinians age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, according to the chapter's figures;
- that total does not include individuals with younger-onset Alzheimer’s (under age 65);
- approximately 388,000 caregivers across the state provide care to people with Alzheimer's.
Those figures underscore the event's dual mission: raising money to support research and practical services, and creating a community of support for patients and caregivers navigating the disease.
Fundraising and goals
Organizers set an ambitious fundraising target of $500,000 for this year’s Raleigh walk. As of Saturday, participants had raised more than $460,000 toward that goal. Funds raised through the event are directed to research, early detection efforts, diagnosis support and the expansion of care and support services for affected individuals and families.
The proximity to the fundraising target signals strong local engagement, though organizers did not say whether the final total will meet or surpass the goal. The funds represent both immediate support for services and long-term investment in scientific research aimed at better understanding and treating Alzheimer’s.
Family networks and the weight of the disease
Several participants described multigenerational impacts within families. Gilchrist noted the disease’s deep footprint in her own family, saying that "seven out of 10 children all had Alzheimer's," and reporting the recent loss of a cousin at age 55. She added that another relative has since received a diagnosis. Those accounts illustrate the ways Alzheimer’s can affect extended family networks—emotionally, logistically and financially.
The walk provides a structured moment for families to remember lost loved ones, to signal solidarity with those currently in care, and to press for better access to services for patients and caregivers—as well as greater public understanding of the disease.
What the event means for Raleigh
For Raleigh residents, the walk offered both a neighborhood-level manifestation of a national public-health challenge and a practical mechanism for raising funds that will flow to local programs. It also created a space where caregivers and those living with the disease could connect with resources and with one another—an outcome that organizers and participants described as central to the event’s purpose.
Organizers and volunteers framed the walk as more than a single-day demonstration. Participants who return year after year treat it as part of a larger effort: to fund research, promote early diagnosis and expand practical supports that help families manage day-to-day care.
As Raleigh’s event closed, the fundraiser was within striking distance of its $500,000 goal, and participants emphasized their intent to continue both the fundraising and the community work required to address Alzheimer’s across the state.
