Melissa Longing of Conway has devoted herself to planning the Faulkner County Alzheimer’s Walk since she organized the first one in 2006, and she’s not letting up.
“This is our 12th year, and we are going to have some different things,” she said.
Registration is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Conway High School’s Buzz Bolding Arena at Prince and Western streets, and the ceremonial walk will begin at 8:45 a.m.
The theme of this year’s walk is “Alzheimer’s Is a Scary Thing.” A kids’ costume contest will take place, with categories for ages infants to 2, 3 to 6 and 7 to 10, and prizes will be awarded.
“We’ve done [the walk] in October before, pretty close to Halloween, and the kids love the costume contest; it’s a lot of fun for them,” she said. “We’re going to have a little kids zone on the gymnasium floor,” which will include a bounce house, face-painting and games.
“We’re going to have a band; we’ve never had that before,” Longing
said. Morgan Road of Russellville will play during the event. “They are awesome,” she said.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will bring its “Mega Brain,” an 18-by-14-by-12-foot portable, inflatable brain exhibit.
“You can walk through it, and it tells you different things about Alzheimer’s and dementia, so that’s a good thing,” Longing said.
Teams have been raising money for months, but individuals may walk for free Saturday or pay $25 to get a commemorative walk T-shirt, while supplies last. People who register the day of the event will get one door-prize ticket.
Also new this year is a banner contest for the teams, Longing said.
“We’ll have door prizes like we always do and prizes for the youngest and oldest walkers,” she said.
Also, as has been the tradition the past three years, participants are asked to bring a can of vegetable or meat soup for the senior food drive to receive one door-prize ticket. The food will be donated to the Soul Food Cafe Mission in Conway.
Rick Harvey, co-founder of Soul Food Cafe Mission, said the food drive “is coming at a perfect time.”
“It certainly helps us, because we’re very low right now on canned goods. We’ve had to reduce the amount in our [food] boxes,” he said. The mission, temporarily housed at First Church of the Nazarene, 1501 Scott St., gives out food boxes and clothing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, as well as offers showers and free haircuts.
In addition to organizing the walk, Longing was named last year to the state Alzheimer’s Arkansas Board of
Directors, “and I now can see firsthand exactly how much we help the caregivers, which is so nice,” she said.
“We get letters every time we have a board meeting, and people are thanking us for what we do,” she said. “Our whole thing we come to focus on is caregivers. The money we raise goes to family and caregivers of Alzheimer’s [patients], and it all stays here in Arkansas.
“We are very close to making another record year, money raised, which is amazing. Last year, we raised $33,000,” she said.
Alzheimer’s disease has hit home for Longing; she has had two loved ones die of the disease. Her father, Jim Montgomery, was 59 when he was diagnosed with the memory-robbing disease, and he died Sept. 20, 2003, at age 67. Her mother-in-law, Louise Longing Graham, died of the disease in June 2009.
Longing said she and her mother participated in the Alzheimer’s Arkansas Walk in Little Rock for two years; then Longing decided Conway was big enough for its own walk.
She said she will continue to work to raise money for the organization as long as she can.
“I know that I’ve gotten help for people here in Conway for respite care, or grants for food or whatever they needed,” she said.
For more information, contact Longing at (501) 733-2457.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.