Hundreds of people will gather at the Maryland Zoo this Saturday for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, lacing up for a morning of fundraising and remembrance as organizers chase a $1.15 million goal for the Baltimore event. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., with the walk itself kicking off at 8:30 a.m., and participants can choose between a one-mile or one-and-a-half-mile route through the zoo grounds.
The event, organized by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter, aims to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research, according to WBAL-TV. Last year’s Baltimore walk alone contributed over $1 million, part of a nationwide total that topped $112 million across 630 walks, the station reports. This year’s local target of $1.15 million was confirmed by 98 Rock Online, which listed Saturday, October 24, as the event date.
A Family Affair for Volunteers
For Morgan Ewing, a volunteer and member of the walk committee for the Greater Maryland Alzheimer’s Association, the cause is deeply personal. Ewing has participated in the walk for the past three years, the station’s report notes, and has said that her father battled Alzheimer’s for about 10 years before he died in January. She also has two uncles who had the disease, and has said Alzheimer’s has affected her family broadly.
“Maryland has one of the highest rates of people with Alzheimer’s,” Ewing said, according to the same account, adding that people need to be concerned and get involved. That concern is backed by state-level numbers: an estimated 127,200 Maryland residents aged 65 and older lived with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, or about 12.9% of the state’s senior population, according to Alzheimer’s Association data for 2026.
The Promise Garden Ceremony
Every walk route includes a stop at the Promise Garden ceremony, a signature ritual where participants receive pinwheel flowers in one of four colors representing their connection to the cause. Courtney Culler, walk director for the Greater Maryland Alzheimer’s Association, described the walk as a yearly support group for people living with the disease, supporters and community leaders, per the station’s report, and said the pinwheel flowers symbolize community and hope.
According to CarePatrol, the colors carry specific meaning: blue for people living with dementia, yellow for caregivers, purple for those who have lost a loved one, and orange for general supporters. Culler also noted that FDA-approved drugs are now treating symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages, a reference to a shift in available treatment options for patients caught early.
The Weight on Maryland's Caregivers
Behind the walk’s fundraising push sits a caregiving system under strain. Approximately 260,000 family caregivers in Maryland provide an estimated 294 million hours of unpaid care annually to people living with Alzheimer’s, work valued at roughly $7.3 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. That burden also shows up in public budgets: an Alzheimer’s Association fact sheet lists Medicaid costs for caring for people with Alzheimer’s at $1.74 billion.
The demographic pressure is only expected to grow. Adults aged 85 and older represent the fastest-growing segment of Maryland’s older population, projected to reach over 315,000 by 2045 — a 158% increase from 2020 — according to the Maryland Department of Aging. Nationwide, more than 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, a figure the Alzheimer’s Association expects to climb to 13 million by 2050.
New Treatments, Lingering Questions
The FDA has granted traditional approval to two disease-modifying monoclonal antibody therapies for early-stage Alzheimer’s: Leqembi, or lecanemab, in July 2023, and Kisunla, or donanemab, in July 2024, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. Both work by removing amyloid-beta plaque buildup in the brain, though the Baltimore chapter has focused its public messaging on awareness and local resources rather than treatment specifics.
A Maryland Chapter office is in Towson, with services in Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel and Frederick counties. The chapter focuses on raising awareness and informing the community about local resources and support, according to the station’s coverage of the event.
Getting to the Walk
Participants who register for Saturday’s walk will receive discounted general admission to the Maryland Zoo — $24 for ages 2 and up — allowing them to visit the exhibits after finishing their route, according to The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The Baltimore event follows a similar gathering in nearby Anne Arundel County, where Ginger Cove hosted a carnival with pony rides and a brass band to fight Alzheimer’s in Annapolis in August.
