ODU Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk Set for Sept. 19
September 13, 2013
Old Dominion University will host an Alzheimer's Awareness Walk, in support of the South Hampton Roads Walk to End Alzheimer's, Thursday, Sept. 19, on Kaufman Mall.
The ODU walk, sponsored by the university's Center for Service and Civic Engagement (CSCE), will take place at 12:30 p.m. It is open to all members of the campus community; registration is not required.
Designed to promote awareness and prevention of the disease, the event will include healthy snacks, giveaways and opportunities to learn tips to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's.
"College is a time to learn and make memories and friends to last a lifetime. What if one day you woke up and couldn't remember anything about college? Alzheimer's is typically seen as an 'old person's' disease, but the time to start preventing it is now," said organizer Tami Park Farinholt.
CSCE is hosting the event in partnership with the Office of Community Engagement, Student Government Association, Recreation and Wellness and the Health Promotion Office. For more information contact tpark@odu.edu or 683-7481.
Some facts about Alzheimer's:
- 5.4 million people in the United States are living with dementia, which accounts for more than $200 billion in health care costs.
- While the leading cause of Alzheimer's is growing old, lifestyle factors play a significant role in the development and severity of the disease.
- Eating healthy, exercising, not smoking and challenging your brain are recommended by the Alzheimer's Association as ways to reduce your risk.
The ODU event is being held to support the 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer's of South Hampton Roads, Sunday, Oct. 13, in Neptune Park in Virginia Beach.
For information about that event, or to register, see: http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/VA-SoutheasternVirginia?fr_id=3766&pg=entry.