On 20 September, Alzheimer Nederland organised a Memory Walk which raised more than EUR 332,000. Besides being a fundraising event, it also brought together people who walked with or walked for people living with dementia. By getting sponsored to walk 6, 10, 20 or 40 km, participants turned their sense of powerlessness into action. During this meaningful Walk, they raised money together for dementia research and support for people affected by dementia.
Halfway along the route, Alzheimer Nederland led all walkers through the “Unforgettable Kilometre”, a place where cherished memories take centre stage. There, beautiful, sad and moving stories came to the fore. There was a “memory field” with little windmills shaped like forget-me-nots where people could write the name of the person they were walking with or for.
Dutch actor and TV presenter Buddy Vedder was among the 1,400 people who took part. Mr Vedder is producing a musical adaptation of the book “Tout le bleu du ciel” by Mélissa Da Costa. To fully empathise with the role of a man diagnosed with dementia at a young age, he spoke with people living with dementia. He believes it is important for his production team to gain a better understanding of dementia, which is why they all took part. Buddy Vedder said: “I hope that by taking part, I can inspire people to go the extra mile for others in these times of polarisation.”
