By Wendy Elliott
The ninth annual Wolfville and area Walk for the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia last June garnered the Wolfville Nursing Home another award.
It was presented recently, and in a video, organizer Margaret Coghill challenged other nursing homes across the province to match the Wolfville home’s fundraising on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia.
The Wolfville Nursing Home has been hosting walks since 2004. Since the challenge began in 2006, Wolfville has won every year except once, noted the society’s fund development director, Sarah Ryan.
The reason, Coghill says, is community support. From the Wolfville Children’s Centre to the L’Arche community to Cochrane’s Pharmasave, participation is guaranteed.
What makes the event a success year after year, she pointed out, are walkers, those who take registrations and the folks who help out by cooking hamburgers.
“We are successful because of everyone who comes.”
The nursing home celebrated the win by inviting community members in for tea.
January is officially Alzheimer Month in the town of Wolfville and last week, which was dubbed Forget Me Not Week, Acadia University football players went door-to-door again collecting funds.
Over 15,000 Nova Scotians have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and that number is projected to double by 2034.
Women make up 72 per cent of Canadians with Alzheimer’s disease.
