Oklahoma City’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises over $500,000

Around 6,000 people attended Oklahoma City’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Scissortail Park on Saturday, raising over $500,000.

The walk is one of over 600 held nationwide to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.

The fundraiser was attended by participants, young and old, and even dogs joined in. Over 350 teams registered for this year’s walk, a record for Oklahoma City. The event also saw a record-breaking number of attendees since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The walk portion of the fundraiser consisted of 2 routes: a shorter path circling the north section of Scissortail Park for a total of 0.6 miles, and a longer path going over the Skydance bridge and around the perimeter of the park for a total of 2 miles.

It was preceded by a party where attendees could learn about Alzheimer’s and dementia resources in the area. The party also had Oklahoma City sports mascots Rumble from the Thunder and Moonshot from the Comets, along with music and aerial performers.

The Promise Garden ceremony is a part of every Walk to End Alzheimer’s event, where participants pick a pinwheel flower to represent why they chose to walk.

Blue for people living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, orange for those who support the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s, yellow for people supporting or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and purple for people who’ve lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“It’s a beautiful sight today. It’s an emotional one. 
It means we’re all in the battle together. Look at the symbolic flowers that surround you. These flowers represent all our different reasons,” said News 9’s Robin Marsh, who spoke during the ceremony.

During the Promise Garden Ceremony, they also presented a symbolic white flower, held by a child, for the first person to be cured of the disease. 

The Alzheimer’s Association provides support for those facing Alzheimer’s and dementia, including loved ones and caregivers, through support groups, education, and a 24/7 helpline. According to OKC Walk Director Carey Lee, three-quarters of the money raised goes towards providing these services in Oklahoma. 

“I feel like so many people won’t talk about this disease because they’re embarrassed, or just think that it’s something that’s supposed to be happening to your family, and it’s not. And there is help out there.”

Funds also go to support funding for clinical trials and research into cognitive function. This includes the U.S. POINTER study, a 2-year clinical study, which has recently released its 10 healthy habits for older adults to lower their risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

“Being movable and being social are 2 of the 10 habits that we promote that you definitely get from being out there at the walk,” said Lee.

Saturday’s event raised a total of $501,165. During registration, participants are encouraged to set a personal fundraising goal and raise money by sharing their donation link. But there are plenty of creative ways to raise money, too. 

“There’s a guy that does a chip in to change, and he brings you a can of Pringles… you get to eat the chips, and then you fill up the Pringles can with all of this change, and then you turn it back in,” said Lee. 

People wanting to get involved can also volunteer to work at fundraising events like the walk. Lee says that over 20 volunteers on Saturday were from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City’s 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for October 24, 2026. For more information about next year’s walk and the work done by the Alzheimer’s Association, visit: act.alz.org