Participants of last year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s are pictured. A fundraiser for the walk will be held 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette by Mill Creek Assisted Living in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association. The event will raise funds for the upcoming walk, which uses funds raised to help those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and support research on a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, organizers said. This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s event will take place Sept. 14 at Northern Michigan University’s Jacobetti Complex, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. (Photo courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association)

MARQUETTE — Millions of Americans are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease each and every day, but despite decades of efforts by physicians, researchers and advocates, there is still no cure for this progressive neurodegenerative disease.

In an effort to support research directed toward finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and provide services for those impacted by Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, Marquette’s Mill Creek Assisted Living will hold the Sunday Over Easy fundraiser with the Alzheimer’s Association.

The fundraiser for Sept. 14’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, organizers said.

The event will be a great opportunity to “spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon at the beautiful Ore Dock and help raise money for a good cause,” Mill Creek Activities Director Beth O’Connor said.

Sunday’s fundraiser will offer “something for everyone,” O’Connor said, as it will feature music by Dave Barry, Danny Collins and the Ogea Brothers, as well as 50/50 raffles, raffle buckets, a lollipop tree pull and much more.

“We are beyond excited for the Sunday Over Easy fundraiser this weekend,” Jake Bilodeau, regional director for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Michigan Chapter, said in an email. “Mill Creek has been a tremendous supporter of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s over the years and we couldn’t be more grateful for their fundraising efforts.”

It’s important to raise funds for the walk, organizers said, as Alzheimer’s disease has a major impact on individuals, families and communities, with 5.8 million Americans affected.

“Alzheimer’s Disease impacts far too many families across the United States as well as our local communities,” Bilodeau said. “We rely heavily on these fundraising efforts to provide care and support for those impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease, and other forms of dementia as well as to fund important research to end this terrible disease.”

Many involved with organizing the event have experienced how Alzheimer’s disease impacts individuals, families and communities.

“At Mill Creek our staff witness firsthand the affects this disease has on an individual but especially their loved ones,” O’Connor said. “It has become a very personal mission for us to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s.”

The mission is particularly important at this time, O’Connor said, as “studies show that by 2025 in the state of Michigan alone, people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will increase by 15.8%.”

Organizers are grateful for the donations of performance time by musicians, donations by businesses and the general “outpouring of local support,” for the event, O’Connor said.

Mill Creek has made a variety of fundraising efforts for its team in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event throughout the year, holding bake sales, craft sales, a cute baby photo contest, a cute pet photo contest and much more.

This fall, the fundraising efforts will continue with a classic car show and pie sale, O’Connor said.

Those who can’t attend Sunday’s event but would still like to support the cause can attend the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Sept. 14 at Northern Michigan University’s Jacobetti Complex. Registration starts at 9 a.m., a ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10:30 a.m.

For more information on the walk and how to get involved visit https://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=12626&pg=entry or call 906-228-3910. To learn more about upcoming Mill Creek fundraising efforts for the walk, visit its Facebook page or www.millcreekassistedliving.com.