People will walk in both Nanaimo and Oceanside, along with 17 other B.C. communities on Sunday for the annual Alzheimer's Walk. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

community support

‘It impacts families, it impacts communities:’ annual Alzheimer’s walk returns to mid-Island

May 25, 2025 | 5:54 AM

NANAIMO — The Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s biggest fundraiser of the year returns to the region this weekend.

Teams in both Nanaimo and Oceanside will take part in the annual Walk for Alzheimer’s, on Sunday, May 25, leaving the Nanaimo Yacht Club or the Parksville Curling Club at 10 a.m., raising money for research, supports and services for those living with dementia.

Society chief development officer Cathryn France said the event is a major community booster, bringing together families, care givers and supports all linked through dementia.

“It’s really our opportunity to have the community come out and stand beside folks who are living with dementia or on the dementia journey. There are about 85,000 people in this province who are living with dementia, so we just really want to amplify their voices and how folks come on out and stand with us.”

The goal is to raise $1 million across B.C. for the programming and supports hosted through the Society.

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France said those living with dementia can often go unnoticed, with a common misconception being most people don’t have a connection to the condition.

“People with living with dementia are our friends, our neighbors, the person that you see regularly at your local coffee shop and…it impacts us in so many different ways. We know that there are so many people who are caregiving for somebody and that sometimes takes them out of the workforce and creates social isolation.”

She added there are few places to turn when receiving a dementia diagnosis, as the Society is the only organization to offer province-wide services and support.

“It impacts families, it impacts communities. It certainly impacts the people who are living with dementia, so even if you don’t think you know somebody living with dementia, it’s highly likely that you do know somebody who’s impacted by dementia.”

Registration for the walks in Nanaimo and Oceanside begin at 10 a.m., with donations able to be made online through the Society’s website.

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