November 7, 2009

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Downtown Augusta was painted purple this morning for the 19th annual Memory Walk, an event to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease.

The three mile walk began at the Augusta Commons and stretched through downtown Augusta. The event is thrown every year by the Alzheimer's Association to raise money for research, and also to get people talking about the impact of the disease.

"What it does to the families and what it does to the people that are suffering from the disease...it's the elephant in the room, the true elephant in the room, no one wants to speak about it," said Deedee Kurilla, director of development for the Alzheimer's Association.

Event planners say almost seven hundred people turned out for the walk. Those who came could sign advocacy cards to send to Congress, asking that more money go toward finding a cure.