The fight against Alzheimer's disease will take center stage this weekend as the annual staging of the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk will be held at Eisenhower Park.

The walk is the largest single fund raiser of the year for the Alzheimer's Association and its various chapters throughout the country. Nationwide they hope to raise over $17 million through the event. Over 25 major corporations on Long Island have pre-registered to raise money in the walk, and the organization's goal is to reach $75,000. In addition to the walk there will be entertainment, live music, radio stations with DJs, food, drink, and lots of fun for the whole family.

The money raised from the 10th annual staging of the 5K walk will be used to fund research, counseling, and promote awareness, and support the association's many programs. The mission of the Alzheimer's Association is to seek a cure, through research funding, as well as to take care of those who are patients and their family caregivers during the long ordeal of Alzheimer's and/or the related dementias.

"Here is an opportunity to take an enormous swipe at the disease and to again get together with other Long Islanders and help keep the Alzheimer's Association's programs and services available to the community," said Fred Kadin, executive director, Alzheimer's Association.

In addition to raising valuable funds, it is hoped the walk will help raise awareness and dispense some of the common misconceptions about the disease.

According to Kadin, Alzheimer's disease, long thought to be part of the normal aging process, is rather a progressive, degenerative terminal illness that affects up to 4 million people in the United States.

"Years ago it used to be confused with senility. It is not. It is a pathology, it is an illness," said Kadin. "Yes, it strikes 1 in 10 over the age of 65 and 1 in 2 over 85. But we see it as early as people in their 40s and 50s."

Although there remains no known cause for the disease, no known diagnostic test and no known cure, there have been several developments in recent years. Presently, two drugs have been developed to help temporarily improve symptoms related to the disease and several others are being studied.

Kadin explained the effects of Alzheimer's disease far outreach that of its victim. The family of the afflicted is often placed under a tremendous financial and emotional strain. Because the symptoms of Alzheimer's can span over 20 years and the cost of caring for the victim soar into the hundreds of thousands, the association has organized support groups for the families of those with the disease. It also offers information and referrals for finding the right physician to do diagnostic work, the best institutional setting, the best nursing facilities, and best day care environments, both social and medical models.

The urgency in finding a cure or a more comprehensive and effective treatment has been highlighted in recent years by the exploding population of the 85+ age group.

"There are approximately 4 million Americans and 50,000 people here on Long Island that are afflicted and the numbers could double in the next 20 years if a cure is not found." said Kadin. "It used to not be such a problem because people died younger. Now we have the fastest growing segment in the population being the 85+ group."

The walk is being co-chaired by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy; Bruce D. Drucker, managing partner of Rivkin, Radler, & Kremer; and Rick Martini of B103 Radio.

The non-competitive walk will be on Saturday, Oct 2. at Eisenhower Park in Parking Field #1. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10 a.m. Individual walkers are invited to come down, make a donation, and join the walk.