In British Columbia alone, over 70,000 people are battling dementia. Alzheimer’s represents the majority of those cases. Startlingly, 10,000 of those are under the age of 65, so the disease has serious implications for quality of life in our society. Also, in Canada, just over 70 per cent of Alzheimer’s patients are women. Education and research are ongoing but need even more support and impetus than they currently have. As part of that effort to understand and even countermand the disease, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. offers an opportunity to raise both funds and awareness. It is the Mt. Kilimanjaro Grouse Grind for Alzheimer’s.
Sunday, September 27, groups of climbers will gather at Grouse Mountain and do the grind, seven times. (Ideally, teams consist of seven people, so it is one grind per team member, although if your team is short of seven, someone may have to grind twice!) This is equal to the actual Kilimanjaro climb, which takes place the very same day. For the past 16 years, an Ascent for Alzheimer’s team (usually eight to 10 people) has gone to Kilimanjaro to climb and raise funds. The Grouse component began four years ago, as a way to include a greater number of participants and expand awareness of and the need for more support in research of Alzheimer’s.
Thus, although not everyone has the means to travel to Tanzania and do the Kilimanjaro climb, there is a great way to actively participate right here at home.
