Olympic Peninsula’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s set for Oct. 5

By Sequim Gazette Staff • October 2, 2019 1:30 am
Michele Devlin of Sequim, pictured here with her mother Debi Turner and her twin children, will be participating in the North Olympic Peninsula Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the third year in a row. She walks in honor of her mom, Debi Turner, who lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer in December 2018. Submitted photo
Michele Devlin of Sequim, pictured here with her mother Debi Turner and her twin children, will be participating in the North Olympic Peninsula Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the third year in a row. She walks in honor of her mom, Debi Turner, who lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer in December 2018. Submitted photo

For the third year in a row, Michele Devlin of Sequim joins others affected by Alzheimer’s disease at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in early October.

This year’s event, however, will be the first without her mom, Debi Turner.

“The most meaningful aspect of the Walk for me and my twins was the tradition that we had with my mom: the two wonderful Walks we had with her, the happiness she expressed being with us and with others reaching for the same goal,” Devlin said.

Turner lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer in December 2018.

“The Walk is important because it helps get the word out that we need to find a cure,” Devlin said. “This year, we’re walking as ‘Debi’s Warriors’ to get that message across.”

The 2019 North Olympic Peninsula Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for Saturday, Oct. 5, starting and ending at the Port Angeles City Pier.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. Last year, nearly 150 people participated in the peninsula event. In the process, they raised more than $26,000.

Proceeds go toward Alzheimer’s research and to provide care and support services for local families impacted by the disease.

Registration for the Walk begins at 10 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. and the two-mile walk at 11:30 a.m.; the walk route is fully accessible.

This family- and pet-friendly event is free to attend; however, participants who donate or raise $100 or more get a Walk to End Alzheimer’s T-shirt.

Devlin and Turner took part in the 2017 Walk, just a few months after Turner moved a memory care community, Devlin recalled.

“We giggled, we skipped, my mom chased my son and we had an amazing time showing our support for the cause,” Devlin said.

Though Turner was unable to walk at the 2018, the mother-daughter duo participated.

“My mom couldn’t walk at that point, but that didn’t stop her,” Devlin said. “She loved to go out. It didn’t matter if she didn’t understand where we were going, as long as we were together.”

For more about the North Olympic Peninsula Walk to End Alzheimer’s, contact Walk manager Kimber Behrends at kibehrends@alz.org or 206-965-5400.

To register or for more about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org/walk or call 800-272-3900.