RUSSELLVILLE — Tara Dollar of Russellville said it was hard watching her grandfather struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the toll it took on her grandmother.
“It’s hard on the caregivers, too, and my grandmother took care of him,” Dollar said. Her grandfather, Glen Taylor of Pottsville, died in 2011.
She wishes her family had known about resources available through Alzheimer’s Arkansas, a statewide nonprofit organization that offers support to caregivers and families of patients with dementia.
“When he had it, we did not know there was an organization out there like this,” she said.
Dollar is chairwoman of the fifth Arkansas Alzheimer’s River Valley Walk, which she started in 2011 in memory of her grandfather to raise money and awareness for the organization’s programs.
This year’s event will begin the morning of Aug. 29 — the time to be determined — at the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club in Russellville. Teams are being formed, and sponsorships are being accepted, she said.
“It’s not too late at all; we’re just getting started,” she said. “We have family teams, corporate teams, or you can walk as an individual. Nursing homes bring residents who live there — a lot of them do have Alzheimer’s.”
Anyone who donates $25 or more will get a walk T-shirt, she said. Sponsors’ names will be printed on the T-shirts, and awards will be given for the largest team and the team that raises the most money.
Last year’s event raised $11,000, “and we’re hoping to make as much, if not more,” she said. About 100 people walked, and Dollar said organizers are hoping for more participation this year.
“It’s more symbolic than anything; it’s not a 5K,” Dollar said. “It’s three to four laps around the gym.”
New this year will be vendor tables available for sponsors who donate $350 or more “to set out fliers or whatever for your business,” Dollar said.
Also, the walk is partnering with the Arkansas Food Bank to help decrease senior hunger in the River Valley.
Lori Kamerling of Pottsville, who has helped Dollar organize the walk since 2012, said Arkansas ranks No. 1 in senior hunger, “so we’re going to do all we can to alleviate that.”
Participants are asked to bring Ensure or Boost to be donated to a food pantry in Pope County to help senior citizens.
“We have in-home services for our clients, and many of our clients have some form of dementia, not always Alzheimer’s,” said Kamerling, who is the community-relations specialist for the Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas in Russellville.
The money raised from the walk goes to help caregivers, not to research, she said.
“I think the main thing is just to raise money for Alzheimer’s Arkansas just so they can continue their programs and services for people who have this issue,” she said.
Arkansas Alzheimer’s offers many services, including support groups, a 24-hour hotline for questions and support for caregivers and family members, grants for families who qualify, resource materials and more. The organization supports Arkansas families affected by any kind of dementia, according to Arkansas Alzheimer’s website.
Kamerling said she understands the issue firsthand because her husband’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s a very difficult disease for everybody involved, and we have the support group in Dardanelle, and I have learned a lot from that support group, not just for me but for our clients here, too,” she said. “This not only raises money, but it raises awareness.”
The walk is an event the whole family can enjoy, Dollar said, and activities will include face painting and door prizes. Also, a raffle will be held for a one-night stay for two with two buffet tickets to Bally’s in Tunica, Mississippi.
The River Valley Walk has grown the past four years, she said.
“It has grown significantly; we have sponsorships that continue to come in. We’ve had sponsors who have been here since the beginning, and then new ones,” Dollar said.
Anyone who is interested in having a team or becoming a sponsor may call Dollar at (479) 264-4247. For more information, go to to www.alzark.org.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.