Bancroft Walk for Alzheimer’s raises over $11,000

May 30, 2023

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As Bancroft This Week reported last week, the Bancroft IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s happened on May 27 at Millennium Park. The walk ended up raising over $11,000 locally for the Alzheimer’s Society of Hastings Prince Edward, with nearly $50,000 being raised across HPE and over $2.2 million being raised by walks held across Ontario. Donations can be made until June 16 at www.walkforalzheimers.ca.

The Bancroft IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s was held at Millennium Park on May 27. Aside from representatives from the Bancroft Alzheimer’s Society of HPE office Kim Aide, education and support coordinator, and Tania Kerik, intake coordinator, Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins was there and said a few words to open the event. Carolyn Green-Smith and Don Green from the Riverside Retirement Residence were there providing a healthy breakfast to walkers before they started and of course the walkers that turned out to do the walk to support Alzheimer’s research. The walk route started at the bandshell and took them around the perimeter of Millennium Park. Aside from Bancroft, over 200 communities across Canada participate in this walk each year, and last year, over $5.7 million was raised by Canadians participating in this walk. Funds raised go toward local programs and services that improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their families and support awareness and education about dementia. Currently, approximately 5,000 people across HPE are living with dementia.

Choices Thrift and Gift Shop (www.facebook.com/ChoicesThriftGiftShop/) made a donation of $5,000 on the day of the walk to Aide and Kerik. Choices is a non-profit organization that sells gently used clothing, accessories, and books. Sandra LaRocque, vice president of Choices, had the following comment on May 29.

“We at Choices are pleased we are able to support the Alzheimer’s Walk in our community again this year. We would also like to thank all those who continue to support us so we can pay it forward to causes like this one,” they said.

Huffman told Bancroft This Week on May 29 that the Bancroft walk had raised over $11,000 for the local Alzheimer’s Society, including the donation from Choices Thrift and Gift Shop.

“The top fundraisers for this year’s walk were Garnet Howard and Lorna Yeomans. Both walkers are long-standing supporters of our Bancroft Alzheimer’s Society office and our Bancroft Walk for Alzheimer’s. We so appreciate both Garnet and Lorna for their continued support and fundraising efforts! In total between our other areas, nearly $50,000 has been raised so far for the Alzheimer’s Society of HPE. Across Ontario, over $2.2 million has been raised. Donation pages at www.walkforalzheimers.ca will remain open until June 16, 2023,” she says. “You can also stop by our office at 24 Flint Avenue and make a donation or call 613-332-4614 and do so over the phone.”