Our office serves the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is made of 15 counties (Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Marquette, Menominee, Mackinac, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft). Within the UP, there are 8,100 people with Alzheimer's disease, and that number is growing every day. Nationwide, there are more than 5 million people with Alzheimer's. Worldwide, someone develops Alzheimer's disease every 72 seconds. Alzheimer's disease is the result of a specific pattern of deterioration in the brain and is the most common form of dementia. Though it is most commonly associated with the elderly, it is possible to develop Alzheimer's disease as young as your twenties. The loss of memory, speech, facial recognition skills, mobility, personality change, and other disabilities are all characteristics that only worsen as the disease progresses. The impact of Alzheimer's does not end with those who have the disease. Spouses and partners, family, friends, caregivers, professionals, and community members all struggle with the effects of the disease as they are continuing to care for others.

The Alzheimer's Association provides services to those with Alzheimer's, including: 24/7 Helpline that provides support, information, and assistance; Support Groups for caregivers and those with early stage dementia; Care Consultation and Care Management; Respite Programs to provide relief to caregivers; Education and Training; Lending Library that provides information; Safe Return, a nationwide program that is vital to protecting those who wander by providing identification and contact information so that they may get home safely as soon as possible; Advocacy at local, state and national levels to increase funding for Alzheimer's research, programs, and supportive services; Rapid Recovery, a program that uses GPS tracking devices to find people with Alzheimer's disease who wander, something that is especially valuable in the largely rural Upper Peninsula; Supports Research into the sources, prevention, treatment, and cure for Alzheimer's disease. The UP region participates in all of these facets, as well as working with other local groups to serve the needs of the residents in the UP. There are just four people in our office plus a number of volunteers who give of their time and energy.

This is the local part of the largest fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association, a national non-profit organization that seeks to serve senior citizens, caregivers, professionals, and others who are involved with those affected by Alzheimer's disease, the SIXTH leading cause of death in the US. We are the Upper Peninsula Region of the Greater Michigan Chapter. This year, there are walks taking place in four Upper Peninsula communities, as well as a large number of tie-in events, such as a benefit concert, an art fair, a pulled-pork dinner, and a golf outing. What we need most now are people willing to be Team Captains and donors who will sponsor walkers and events. Most teams are recruited by word-of-mouth, as well as from Northern Michigan University here in Marquette. This year we are branching out into online social networking sites like DoSomething, Facebook (search for event name: "Marquette County Memory Walk") and MySpace (www.myspace.com/memorywalk_gmc_up) to attract users that may not have otherwise heard of the event.

Start a team! You can register as a Team Captain or join and existing team at www.alz/gmc.org. Click on "Memory Walk" on the left-hand side, choose your walk, and follow the prompts. You can volunteer at the office in a number of ways; simply come into the office or give us a call at 906-228-3910.