The 2017 Walk To End Alzheimer’s featured hundreds of Santa Clarita residents dressed in purple gear, the official color of Alzheimer’s Awareness organizations, who simultaneously walked with 600 other communities nationwide in order to help bring an end to the disease.

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s-Santa Clarita took place Saturday morning in Bridgeport Park. Beginning at 10 a.m., participants walked two miles around the perimeter of the park, cheered on by the honking and encouragement of passerbys.

Related: Walk To End Alzheimer’s Santa Clarita Set To Return To Bridgeport Park Oct. 7

This year, walkers and sponsors generated over $83,000 through the 603 participants that were members of 149 teams, according to the organization’s website.

Funds raised from the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Santa Clarita will not only be used toward research for a cure, but also to support families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease right here in Santa Clarita, according to officials.

Related: 2016 Walk To End Alzheimer’s In Santa Clarita Raises Over $94,000

“It’s support groups, it’s events, it’s education, it’s the hotline — it’s a lot of things that people that you are dealing with, that your friends, your neighbors are dealing with … are using, need to use and need to know that it’s out there,” Rick Ferrante, an event organizer and president of Home Care Services Santa Clarita. “And we need to be able to fund that so that those people have those resources.”

In addition to the two-mile walk around Bridgeport Park, the event featured entertainment such as music, singing and dancing; vendors; food and more.

In previous years, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s has had similar success in raising both awareness and fundraising, with last year’s alone generating over $94,000 for the cause.

For more information about past, present and future Walks, visit the organization’s website here.

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