By The Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes and Long Beach Walk to End Alzheimer’s are both set to take place this Saturday, Oct. 26 to raise awareness of the diseases and gather funds.
The advocacy walks will occur at various locations in Long Beach, including Rainbow Lagoon Park, Shoreline Aquatic Park and Granada Launch Ramp.
The Step Out Walk, presented by the American Diabetes Association, will take place at Rainbow Lagoon Park; check-in will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and the walk will start at 9:00 a.m.
Director of Public Relations at ADA, Virginia Cramer, said the event will bring people with diabetes, supporters and volunteers closer together to raise funds for research and education.
“[The event] also helps ADA distribute various educational resources, including webinars, podcasts and more for healthcare professionals to stay updated on the latest diabetes care practices,” Cramer said.
According to Graham Allbaugh, development director at ADA, Long Beach State’s 22 West Media will be at the event playing music before the opening ceremony.
Arts and crafts opportunities for children will also be available, and companies that work in the diabetes field will be in attendance.
“We encourage people to visit those tents in the morning,” Allbaugh said. “At our opening ceremony, we will have a dedicated group of volunteers who will be managing [the tents] in conjunction with staff.”
The walk is free to register and open to all ages. Registered participants can park in the lot next to the convention center.
“For the general public, the best way for people to visit us is to park across the street at Marina Green Park and just walk across the crosswalk,” Allbaugh said.
The Long Beach Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held at Shoreline Aquatic Park, with the opening ceremony starting at 10:00 a.m. and the walk beginning at 10:15 a.m.
During the event, a photo booth and face painting will be available as well as live music from a DJ. The opening ceremony will include participants carrying flowers of different colors to represent their connection to Alzheimer’s.
As of Wednesday, the organization had reached 57% of its fundraising goal, Lauren Schaefer, manager of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, said.
“We are expecting 1,100 people to attend the event,” Schaefer said. “The funds raised will go toward Alzheimer’s research, which includes our free 24/7 help line, free local caregiver support groups and our research to find a cure.”
