Mary Dembkowski, of Oakmont of Santa Clarita, is encouraging Santa Clarita Valley residents to participate in the fourth annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s event set for October in hopes of raising funds for Alzheimer’s research.

The 4th annual walk, which is held nationwide by the Alzheimer’s Association, is returning to Bridgeport Park in Valencia on Oct. 8

“It’s just such a special event, just seeing all the people touched by this disease and coming together to raise funds for programs (and) research,” Dembkowski said.

The majority of the funds raised from the event are allocated to conduct research in order to provide resources to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dembkowski.

Related: Oakmont Of Santa Clarita Official Encourages Seniors To Join Waitlist Now

“Research, research, research — that’s where the most important part of the funds go, and the more that we can support that research, the closer we’re going to become to finding a cure,” explained Dembkowski.

Around 35 teams have formed in Santa Clarita so far, including a team from Oakmont of Santa Clarita, and Dembkowski encourages others to create their own team or join an existing team as well.

“Any individual who wants to walk and support the cause can form a team,” she said. “There’s no registration fee to start a team and hopefully you and your team can raise funds.”

Funds are raised through sponsors, who pledge a certain dollar amount to those who are walking, or through direct donations made to the Alzheimer’s Association on the Santa Clarita Walk to End Alzheimer’s page.

“Usually you’re sponsoring a walker, so if you know of someone that’s walking, you can support them,” explained Dembkowski. “If you don’t know of anyone that’s walking, you can just donate to the Santa Clarita Walk to End Alzheimer’s.”

Dembkowski reminds those individuals not interested in walking at the event that volunteers are always needed as well.

“If you are interested in volunteering or helping out with the walk — maybe not necessarily walking or participating — we can always use volunteers to help that day,” said Dembkowski. “There’s just so many different ways people can get involved, and we have all that information at Oakmont.”

Oakmont of Santa Clarita is hosting an event on Sept. 14 where residents can learn how to fundraise, and anyone that is interested in getting involved in the walk can attend.

Oakmont is a luxury senior living community in Santa Clarita located on seven acres of land on Newhall Ranch Road. Recently opened in January 2016, Oakmont of Santa Clarita is comprised of 80 pet-friendly apartment units, with both independent and assisted living options available. Residents can enjoy five star amenities like a salon & day spa, movie theater, fitness center, restaurant-style dining, gardens and walking paths, pet park, wellness center and more. A separate wing of the community, called Traditions Memory Care, is dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Oakmont of Santa Clarita

28650 Newhall Ranch Road

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

(661) 347-0051