Walk to End Alzheimer's to be held online this year due to coronavirus

The Cape Girardeau Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held virtually this year, due to COVID-19, the Alzheimer’s Association recently announced.

The walk will still take place Sept. 19, but instead of meeting at a central point, participants are encouraged to walk as individuals or small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails across Cape Girardeau.

“This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be everywhere,” Stacy Tew-Lovasz, Greater Missouri Alzheimer’s Association chapter president, said in the announcement. “The pandemic is changing how we walk, but it doesn’t change the need to walk. With the dollars raised, the Alzheimer’s Association can continue to provide care and support to families during these difficult times while also advancing critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention.”

New features are being added to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s mobile app. Participants can track their steps and distance, follow a virtual Walk path, manage fundraisers and more.

More than 120,000 people in Missouri are living with Alzheimer’s disease — the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. More than 319,000 caregivers also live in Missouri.

Registration and more information may be found at www.alz.org/walk.