The number of teams committed to one of the seven Memory Walks in Northwest Ohio continues to grow every day! Just this morning we have already welcomed four new captains, bringing our total teams for all our Walks to 183. There is always room for more! Our goal is to double the number of teams from last year, so we continue to ask our supporters to Be a Captain! Bring a Captain!

Our first Walk is just a month away! (Lima Memory Walk, Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m. at Ottawa Metro Park.) Now is the time to get involved and support the work of the Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter. Call the Chapter office nearest you, or click on the individual Walk website to sign up online!

And remember, all of the money raised for Memory Walk remains in Northwest Ohio, enabling us to provide essential programs and services.

(08/16/07) Sponsors and Planning Committees (Oh, MY!)

Another busy week as momentum continues to build for the seven Northwest Ohio Memory Walks!

Corporate sponsors continue to join our cause. Just this week we welcomed MedCentral Health System as a benefactor for the Mansfield Memory Walk; the Commons of Providence as a patron for the Sandusky Memory Walk; the Elizabeth Scott Community and the Cement Masons & Plasterers Local 886 as friends of the Toledo Memory Walk; and Primrose Retirement and Milliron Industries as friends for the Mansfield Memory Walk. Of course, there's always room for more sponsors at all seven of the Walks, so call Bob Mackowiak or Melissa Strite at 800-272-3900 for sponsorship information for any of the Walks.

We also had great planning committee meetings this week in both Lima and Findlay for those Walks. Both of these Walks will have someone sing the national anthem, the great basket raffle (a marvelous way to win a great prize), good food and more. (Since the Findlay Walk has moved to Sunday afternoon, September 16 at 1:30 p.m., they've decided to provide lunch before the Walk; come out anytime after 12 noon for a bite to eat, then you can register at1 p.m. and Walk off lunch at 1:30 p.m.) 

Can't believe how many people watch the Food Channel on cable TV! The national office of the Alzheimer's Association has been running some ads for Memory Walk last week and this week, mostly on cable channels. It appears that picking the Food Channel as one of them was the right choice, as two people called just on Monday to say they saw the Memory Walk ads over the weekend. The TV ads run through August 19.

And in the Toledo area many people are hearing the radio ads promoting Memory Walk courtesy of Home Instead. Lisa and Scott Rozanski of Home Instead have turned over their usual educational radio spots to help spread the word about Memory Walk. Home Instead is a national Memory Walk team this year.The spot also features Lynn Ritter, Ph.D., the Northwest Ohio Chapter's education coordinator.

Get your team together now and plan to join us at one or more of the 2007 Memory Walks.

(8/29/07) Lima Memory Walk is almost here!

The first Walk of this Memory Walk season is nearly here. The Walk in Lima will take place on Saturday, September 8 at Ottawa Metro Park. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the Walk begins at 10:30 a.m.

Welcome to St. Rita's Medical Center, a Benefactor for the Lima Walk. Thanks to all of our corporate sponsors for your support.

If you haven't yet signed up for the Lima Memory Walk, visit www.limamemorywalk2007.kintera.org. From this site, you can register for the Walk and create your own Memory Walk Web site, where you can create simple emails to send to all of your friends, family and coworkers.

Pull out your walking shoes and we'll see you at the Lima Memory Walk!

(9/19/07) Great Weather, Great Teams, Great Times!

Nearly 400 people have already participated in the first three 2007 Memory Walks presented by the Northwest Ohio Chapter. Weather has been fantastic with lots of sunshine (okay, it WAS a bit humid in Lima) and the forecast is outstanding for the Tiffin and Toledo Walks this weekend. 

This week we're happy to welcome Mercy Hospital of Tiffin as a patron sponsor for the Tiffin Walk! Hedges-Boyer Park is a perfect, beautiful place for the Tiffin Walk, which will be led by our honorary chair, Vicki Lowery, President of the Tiffin Chamber of Commerce.

If you are participating in the Toledo Walk and want to turn in money before the Walk and pick up any T-shirts you have coming, you are welcome to do so. Our office at 2500 N. Reynolds Road is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (It is now easier than ever to find our Reynolds Road office thanks to the new sign we (finally) put up a couple months ago.  It is easy to spot since it features our famous purple logo on an orange background.) We have more than 150 active teams already involved with the Toledo Walk, such as the Keystone Krusaders, a new team from Keystone Automotive that yesterday turned in 17 registration forms!

Watch for the story about our Chapter and the Adult Day Center that will appear on 13 Action News this week.  Our media emcee Susan Ross Wells stopped by our office to film a story which will air before the Walk. 

Finally, a couple reminders about the Toledo Walk. Parking is free in the Anthony Wayne Trail lot on Sunday for those participating in the Memory Walk. We will be taking team photos to the north of the registration tent this year and will have two teams of photographers in an effort to prevent any bottleneck of people up near the Zoo entrance. We will also again be taking team photos inside the Zoo once the Walk is underway. If you have a Zoo membership, use it at the entrance to save our Chapter some money. Although we mark a walking path in the Zoo, you do not have to take it; you can just walk into the Zoo with everyone else and enjoy the day by going your own way. The Memory Garden and Memory Wall will again be inside the Zoo by the Carnivore Cafe.

Thanks for your continued support!!  See you in Tiffin Saturday morning and at the Toledo Zoo at noon on Sunday!

(9/25/07)  What a wonderful Walk!!

Thanks to everyone who supported the Toledo Memory Walk on Sunday! There were a record number of people who turned out for this year's Walk at the Toledo Zoo....and the weather was FANTASTIC!! We had huge media coverage the day of the Walk from Toledo television stations and a large photo was printed in the Toledo Blade. Check out the photos on this Web site (to be posted vey soon) to see if your picture was captured by one of our cameras.

Don't forget that there is still time to turn in donations and add to your team totals. Just drop them off at the Alzheimer's Association office or mail them in.

If you haven't gotten enough Memory Walk yet, head out to the first ever Sandusky Memory Walk to take place in Osborn Park in Sandusky this Saturday (9/29). The weather forecast looks great and we can't wait to see you there!

(10/01/07) Sunshine in Sandusky

Approximately 100 people came out to Osborn Park on a gorgeous Saturday, September 29 for the first Sandusky Memory Walk. Kids enjoyed the pumpkin painting, several people won door prizes (including passes to the Kalahari Waterpark Resort), and everyone enjoyed the cookout lunch provided by the Commons of Providence as well as the music/live remote by K96.

Honorary Chair Nancy McKeen, Erie County Commissioner, addressed the crowd, as did Carol Wilson, a caregiver who spoke about her personal experiences and the support she received from the Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter. Participants in the Walk also had the chance to learn more about Genworth Financial, the presenting sponsor for all of the Memory Walks across the country, as well as Home Instead Senior Care, a Platinum National Team.

If you intended to participate in the first Sandusky Memory Walk and just didn't get there, you can still contribute to this walk by being a "virtual walker." Just go to www.sanduskymemorywalk2007.kintera.org and make your donation online. (In fact, you still can contribute to any and all of the 2007 Northwest Ohio Chapter Memory Walks  by following the links to those Kintera sites from this website, or by sending a check payable to the Alzheimer's Association to the Northwest Ohio Chapter office, 2500 N. Reynolds Road, Toledo, Ohio 43615.) Take the time now to add to your team totals...and remember that all of the money raised at Memory Walk remains in this area to provide programs and services to those impacted by the disease.