FREEHOLD – Students at Freehold Township High School are helping to shape the face of the fight against Alzheimer’s – literally.
On June 13, several hundred students decked out in purple gear took to the school grounds to form a human outline of New Jersey State, with the help of the statewide nonprofit, Alzheimer’s New Jersey.
Alzheimer’s New Jersey is an independent non-profit that aims to address “the needs of people in New Jersey who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, by providing programs and community partnerships that increase awareness and access to services,” according to their website.
Formerly known as the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater New Jersey Chapter, the organization changed their name in 2015 in order to better reflect their “commitment to individuals and families that are impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia right here at home in New Jersey.”
Students were doing their part in bringing awareness to the devastating disease through Alzheimer’s New Jersey’s 2019 Walk to Fight Alzheimer’s.
An aerial view shows hundreds of students standing shoulder to shoulder in their purple t-shirts, forming the shape of New Jersey, in solidarity with those who suffer from Alzheimer’s in our home state. Purple is the national color of the Alzheimer’s movement.
According to the organization, Freehold Township High School students have raised over $100,000 for Alzheimer’s New Jersey education, support and advocacy programs over the past 15 years. These funds go towards “programs such as care consultations, family support groups, Alzheimer New Jersey’s Telephone Helpline, the Respite Care and Wellness Program, the Always Safe Initiative and the Clinical Trials Connections program.”
After the event on June 13, Freehold Township students were presented with the Walk to Fight Alzheimer’s School Spirit Award for their participation by Alzheimer’s New Jersey President and CEO Ken Zaentz, State Senator Vin Gopal and representatives from Congressman Chris Smith’s office.
If you wish to get involved in Alzheimer’s New Jersey’s mission as well, the organization will host their Southern Regional Walk in Pt. Pleasant Beach on September 28, 2019. For more information on Alzheimer’s New Jersey’s walks and programs, visit alznj.org.
