06/03/20 -- Today is Global Running Day. Let it be clear, I still hate running.
That said, running has become a great stress reliever and an outlet for me through my mom’s dementia journey.
I never used to run. I STILL don’t consider myself a “runner”. I never in my life thought I’d run a half marathon let alone the FULL 26.2 mile New York City Marathon (in 2018) or raise more than $8,500 for a dementia charity (CaringKind - The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving). Yet here I am... signed up for the 2020 New York City Marathon! I never expected the experience would have such a profound impact on my life!
So why am I sharing this during a week of Black Lives Matter protests and our current climate of events??
Because with respect to everything going on, I think it's important to educate ourselves. Dementia doesn't care about the color of your skin. It can affect ANYBODY!
• African American & Hispanic men and women have the highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s related dementias. • Especially minority women. • By 2060, Alzheimer’s cases among African Americans will increase FOUR times what it is today.
And there’s still NO CURE! That’s why I’m running for Caring Kind, a non-profit organization focused on developing education, research and training to support individuals and families affected by dementia.
If you’re looking for a great resource to educate yourself, I highly recommend NY Times Bestseller “Before I forget”! It’s heartwarming, sad, funny, educational and they spend an entire chapter discussing why Alzheimer’s is more prevalent in African Americans.
Remember even $5 adds up and makes a huge difference!!
BONUS: CaringKind is a 501c3 non-profit, so ANY contribution you make is tax deductible!
Here’s the link: https://give.caringkindnyc.org/Katie-Runs-The-NYC-Marathon
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