Tulare & Kings Alzheimer's Walk Considered a Success

About 210 area residents participated in this year's Tulare & Kings Walk to End Alzheimer's at Valley Strong Ballpark, home of the Visalia Rawhide, before the team's game with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on August 20.

So far, $20,379 has been raised to fight the disease.

Those walking included members of the Visalia Rawhide, as well as members of the visiting Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

"I believe the event went very well," said Walk Manager Heather McCarthy. "Considering the different location and the threat of a hurricane, it was definitely a success."

Fortunately for all concerned, the remnants of Hurricane Hilary did not affect the walk.

"We were loading the van (after the event) as it started to sprinkle," McCarthy said. "We did not get hit by any rain during the event – thank goodness – but we did get rain on the way back to Bakersfield."

This year's goal was $27,000 and McCarthy expects to surpass that goal, even though they are $6,631 short of that as The Good Life goes to press.

"There is sponsorship money that hasn't been turned in yet," she explained, adding that there are also baseball game proceeds yet to be counted, including from a 50/50 raffle and tennis ball toss.

"Some of the teams (that participated in the walk) have fundraisers in the fall, so we're looking forward to that also," said McCarthy. "For example, one team does a group yard sale."

The top money-raising team this year was the Quail Park Communities, which raised $6,314.

Last year's walk, held at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia, raised $25,000. This year's total should surpass that, but unlike last year, nobody dressed up in a Star Wars costume this year. The only walker in a costume was Tipper the Bull, the Rawhide mascot.

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care and research.

More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, making it the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Donations for this year's Tulare-Kings Walk to End Alzheimer's can be made to: The Alzheimer's Association, 1401 Commercial Way, Suite 210, Bakersfield, CA 93309. Donations received by December 31 will be credited to the 2023 Walk.

Contributions can also be made on the "2023 Walk to End Alzheimer's – Tulare & Kings Counties, CA" page at http://www.alz.org/walk by clicking on the "Donate" button.