Residents will soon have an opportunity to help raise money in the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease.

  The Alzheimer’s Association’s Henry county Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for September 21 at Alexander Park on Jonesboro Road in McDonough. The walk will begin at the west entrance. Registration will start at 8 a.m., and the walk will begin at  9 a.m.

  Participants can join a team or register to walk individually at alz.org/walk.

  Sylvia Dennis-Wray is the chairperson for the 2.7-mile walk. She said she is “excited more than ever” to oversee this year’s walk.

  “I feel that every time I talk about the walk, I am advocating for everyone affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia,” she said. “One day we will find a cure and one day have that first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease.”

  Proceeds from the event go toward funding Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs. Dennis-Wray is hoping to have 600 participants in this year’s walk, with a fundraising goal of $53,000.

  “Last year, we had approximately 500 people who attended,” said Dennis-Wray. “We raised more than $44,000.”

  The day of the walk will also include a Promise Garden Ceremony, in which participants will honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with Promise Flowers as a display of hope.

  The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization for care, support and research related to the disease. The local Alzheimer’s fundraiser began in 2016 as a mini-walk, and became an official walk with the Alzheimer’s Association two years later.

  Dennis-Wray highlighted the importance of the event for patients, caregivers and family members.

  “Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States,” she said. “More than five million Americans are living with this disease. There are more than 16 million family members and friends who provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States.”

  Dennis-Wray, who is also an Alzheimer’s caregiver, leads a nearby support group for those affected by the disease. She said Alzheimer’s is the “most expensive disease in America.”

  “It’s more expensive to care for someone who has Alzheimer’s,” said Dennis-Wray.

  In Georgia, more than 150,000 people live with Alzheimer’s, as well as 533,000 caregivers.

  Along with the walk, the event will feature music by DJ Scottie Wray of Skatafut Sounds. Fatimah Ray of Edgy Girl Fitness Studio will provide a pre-walk warm-up. Southpoint Fellowship will sponsor a Kidz Zone for the occasion.

  Dennis-Wray expressed her gratitude for the walk’s local sponsors. Those sponsors include Cadence at Mt. Zion, Piedmont Henry Hospital, Southern Grace Hospice, Golden Crest, GEL Health Advisors, Southern Regional Medical Center and Benton Village.

  For more information, call 800-272-3900 or visit www.alz.org.