65% of all persons in long-term care in Canada suffer from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. The numbers are staggering. However, if we can keep our loved ones at home, giving them the consistency of a familiar surrounding, being with loved ones, keeping to existing routines, and we kept them there with a primary care giver for a year we would save our medical system millions of dollars every year. Freeing up long term beds is a major issue that is facing all of us. Soon the ‘silver tsunami’ will be upon us as the baby boomers begin their golden years. These events support local caregiver programs in our communities. Programs provided by the Alzheimer’s Society of Windsor and Essex County. These would include Day Away and In Home Respite Care. Programs designed to give the primary care givers a much needed break, to recharge and get some personal time. The role of a primary caregiver is a 24hr, 7 day a week role and most of these caregivers are our elderly mothers or fathers looking after spouses and the children trying to balance their own families with the lives of parents.
The idea for the run started back in spring of ’07 when my family and I would visit my relatives in Belle River. During the cross Essex County ride from Lake Erie to Lake St Clair, I would discuss with my wife that when the summer would come around I would like to run from our house, in Amherstburg, to Belle River with my family following close behind. One particular evening it dawned on me the enormity of this challenge and that if I were to do it at all, I would do it for a reason, to create some awareness for a cause that was close to my heart – Alzheimer’s.
Reid Bigland - President of Chrysler with the rest of the runners in Amherstburg - Photo by Jason Uszynski
With that ambitious thought in my head I moved forward and asked some fellow runners to join me. The beginning of an event that would explode into what eventually became the 65km run across the county. The run to celebrates and acknowledges the caregivers that are often over looked when thinking about this cause. They are the real heroes, that person to me is my Mother. She is the primary caregiver for my father who has had Alzheimer’s for over 15 years. We Love Caregivers!
The run was set for World Alzheimer’s Day Friday, September 21st 2007. An event that started 15 weeks earlier as a jest had turned into a national media event. The run has sparked the interest of hundreds of runners. We raised almost $30,000.00 in the first year, thanks to incredible sponsors and the generosity of the people of Essex County. Shortly after the event every runner, every sponsor wanted to be apart of the event if we did it again in 2008. Please see last years gallery and sponsors.
Well, we are doing it again this time on Saturday September 20th 2008. Starting in the Town of Essex and running thru Lakeshore, Tecumseh, Windsor, LaSalle and ending in the Town of Amherstburg. It is a full Ultra Marathon length event, 80kms or 50 a miler. We have room for 12 full length runners and 35 relay teams. Please see details on this years run. Why a 50 miler? Simple, because we can and it is a long distance to run. See 2008 Run
