Shenango Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s draws hundreds, raises $35K

More than 200 people gathered at Buhl Park on Saturday for the Shenango Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising about $35,000 for research and support services.

The event, organized by the Alzheimer’s Association, featured a Promise Garden ceremony where walkers carried flowers in different colors to represent their connection to the cause. Blue flowers symbolized those living with Alzheimer’s, yellow represented caregivers, purple honored loved ones lost to the disease, and orange represented general supporters.

For many, the walk was personal. Cynthia Lysac of Hermitage, who was the event’s top fundraising participant, raising $1,485, said she walked in honor of her father, who battled Alzheimer’s for eight years. Her team, Williams Gang, was also the top fundraising team, collecting $3,872.92.

“I lost my father to Alzheimer’s, and now I’ve been diagnosed myself,” Lysac said. “There’s no cure at the moment, but there are promising treatments coming. And raising thousands of dollars today is a blessing for any family that’s been affected.”

Lysac added that community support is essential. “Nobody can do it alone,” she said. “You have to have a good family circle, friends that will support you.”

St. Paul’s Senior Living Community, based in western Pennsylvania, was one of the event’s sponsors. Tammy Leininger, vice president of senior living services at St. Paul’s, said the organization is committed to the cause.

“I’ve lost a cousin, I’ve lost an aunt, and my husband lost his grandmother,” she said. “After 34 years at St. Paul’s, I’ve been touched by so many stories — and they all deserve to be told and represented.”

Leininger said current medications can only slow the progression of symptoms, but new therapies are being developed to target the disease more directly. “There’s not anyone who hasn’t been touched in some way by the disease,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important to get resources and research to try to end Alzheimer’s.”

Students from Thiel College’s speech-language pathology program also volunteered, helping with registration and encouraging walkers. Olivia Jardina said their group created a fundraising team and spread awareness on campus and in the community. “We’re here to advocate for some of the populations we’ve been studying about, and we just want to spread awareness for Alzheimer’s,” she said.

Her classmate, Lillian Sitzer, said the turnout shows how widespread the disease’s impact is, adding that it was exciting to see so many people involved.

Organizers said the Shenango Valley walk is part of a nationwide effort to support the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, as well as their caregivers and families.