Donations, volunteers and participants are still being accepted for the LaGrange Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which will be held Saturday morning at Vernon Woods Retirement Community. The walk, which raises money for the Alzheimer’s Association, has raised $14,190.86 of its goal of $58,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the event’s website.

Sue Burdick, executive director of Vernon Woods, said the walk has been held at the retirement center for almost a decade.

“We don’t have a dedicated memory care unit here, but in assisted living we do see some dementia as residents age in place. And you’re seeing it attacking younger and younger people,” Burdrick said.

Ally Barnett, development manager for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, said the event will have multiple food vendors, face painting and a D.J. Barnett said Columbus Memory Center neurologist Jonathan Liss will speak at the event.

“I think that it brings a lot of awareness to the Alzheimer’s Association, and it helps bring awareness to families who might be going through a difficult time, caregivers who are struggling to take care of their loved one who might have Alzheimer’s,” Barnett said. “I think we do a really good job of bringing awareness to the community, as well as raising those funds that will go right back into the community to help with the education, caregiver support, things like that.”

Barnett said they are accepting donations at the event, but money can also be sent on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s website, Act.alz.org. Donations are being accepted through Nov. 30.

Barnett said the walk is free, so people can just attend on the day of the walk as well as volunteers. According to the event’s website, there are currently 152 participants and 32 teams as of Wednesday afternoon.

“This is our signature event, and our staff and residents have all pitched in to fundraise and to support the cause,” Burdick said.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., the ceremony is at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Vernon Woods is located at 101 Vernon Woods Drive in LaGrange.

Barnett said they will walk rain or shine.

“Unless there’s really, really bad lightning or anything like that, we would make a judgement call, but otherwise we walk in the rain,’ Barnett said.