Thousands of sneakers, strollers, wheelchairs and paws thundered through Riverside Park on Sunday, October 21st at the 19th annual Memory Walk, a three-mile fundraising hike at which the Alzheimer’s community gathered to honor loved ones and the more than 200,000 NewYorkers living with Alzheimer’s disease. At deadline, Memory Walk 2007 raised an unprecedented $960,000 that will be used to fund the programs and services offered by the Chapter. Champions David Hyde Pierce, WABC-TV Channel 7’s Bill Ritter, and Alice Stockton-Rossini of 1010 WINS radio kicked off the opening ceremony and were on hand to help announce the names of the Walk’s top fundraisers.

Board Co-Chairs Susan Kayser and Mark Zurack welcomed the crowd to our annual fall event, which with 72° F weather, felt like summer.
Ms. Stockton-Rossini heartily introduced Chapter President and CEO
Lou- Ellen Barkan as a woman who “talks the talk and walks the walk.”

“We have some of the best minds right here in our city working hard for the cure, and it’s our job to help in any way we can, from participating in clinical trials and helping to facilitate research, to participating in events like today’s Memory Walk.

Board Co-Chairs Susan Kayser & Mark Zurack welcome the crowd

By walking together,we can make a difference not only for New York, but for the whole country,” said Ms. Barkan proudly
as she stood before thousands of walkers in purple who came to MOVE our cause forward.

During the opening ceremony, jazz singer and former caregiver Coretta Davis gave voice to the feelings of the crowd with a stirring vocal performance of an original song entitled “If You Could Remember,” which brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience. Ron Sunshine & Full Swing also entertained the crowd of more than 3,000.

The opening ceremony held many memorable moments including the reading of a Mayoral Proclamation declaring October 21st “Memory Walk Day,” presented by Commissioner for the Department for the Aging Edwin Méndez-Santiago. NYPD Detective Terry Daniels was on hand to accept the Chapter’s first Public Service Award for his outstanding work with the Safe Return program. Tami Schneider, Women in Action Chair, and Meghann McKale, Junior Committee President, spoke to the crowd about the importance of participation in Chapter events, advocacy and fundraising opportunities like MemoryWalk.

At the close of the ceremony, Lou- Ellen Barkan and David Hyde Pierce cut the ribbon on Memory Walk 2007 and thousands of New Yorkers—mothers, sons, husbands, children and even beloved family pets—stepped onto the walking course on the bright Sunday morning to honor their loved ones.

Our KIDZ KORNER was a tremendous hit for kids of all ages, thanks to Louise Rogers and Rick Strong for Jazzy Fairy Tales, to Sal Polisi for incredible wood sculptures, and so much more! Our 4-legged walkers came out wagging and were treated to a Memory Walk 2007 bandana and biscuits at the Doggie Dugout, sponsored by Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare System. Our 2007 Memory Wall, sponsored by Fairfield Greenwich Group, and our 2007 Children’s Memory Wall, sponsored by Team Eisai and led by Team Captains Chris Cozic and Claudia Eybl, began the day completely bare, but by the end of Memory Walk were completely covered with loving messages, mementos and photographs of family members and friends who have had dementia, or are currently affected. Almost 300 Memory Walk teams filled Riverside Park with banners and T-shirts letting everyone know why they walked!

Since raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease is paramount in our mission to MOVE this city and the nation to end Alzheimer’s, we are very grateful to Bill Ritter and WABC-TV, Alice Stockton-Rossini and 1010WINS radio, WLTW 106.7 FM and WFAN 660 AM, for Memory Walk public service announcements on the air and on their Web sites, and to People Magazine, amNewYork, The New York Sun, The Canarsie Courier, and the Queens Chronicle for print PSAs. Once again, we were so proud to have the support of The Empire State Building and the Con Edison Building illuminating in purple for “A Week to Remember,” culminating on Memory Walk Day.

Many, many thanks to all of our Memory Walk 2007 walkers and donors. And to all of our wonderful volunteers— a heartfelt thank you. Without your help we would not have had a successful Memory Walk!

Amid the splendor of autumn foliage along the mighty Hudson River in one of Manhattan’s most spectacular parks, our supporters walked for relatives and friends, for memories, for awareness and for hope.

We thank you and hope that you will join us next fall for Memory Walk 2008!

— Erin Farrell & Susan Sugarman

Click here to view our entire Memory Walk 2007 photo album.

Special Awards

Team Eisai received awards for Top Corporate Fundraising Team & Largest Team

Top Fundraiser Stuart Post: $28,502 2nd Top Fundraisers Tami & Rick Schneider: $20,380 3rd Top Fundraiser Jeff Jones: $15,790 Top Corporate Fundraising Team Eisai Inc. Christopher Cozic and Claudia Eybl, Team Captains: $40,907 Top Non-Corporate Fundraising Team NYC Chapter Junior Committee Jessica Levine, Team Captain: $23,786 Largest Team Eisai Inc. Christopher Cozic and Claudia Eybl, Team Captains: 182 Team Members Largest Family Team Ovidia Gonzalez: 103 Team Members	Top Fundraiser, Stuart Post (right) & 3rd Top Fundraiser, Jeff Jones (left)
	2nd Top Fundraisers, Tami & Rick Schneider with Brady, Casey & Bumpy
National Genworth Financial Platinum Curtains Memory Wall Farifield Greenwich Group Children's Memory Wall Team Eisai Silver Eisai Inc. & Pfizer Inc MetLife Foundation Volunteer Project Fund Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. NFL Players Association Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. Family Tent Evercare Bronze Condé Nast Publications Deloitte Fox Rehabilitation—Geriatric Therapy at Home Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP Thermo-Tek Ltd. Crystal Atria Senior Living Benny's Way Home Care LLC Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility Con Edison Duane Morris LLP Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. M&T Bank Nintendo DS Brain Age 2™ Sephardic Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Studley, Inc. The 80th Street Residence Doggie Dugout The Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare System Media WABC-TV 1010 WINS People WLTW 106.7 FM WFAN 66 AM amNew York The New York Sun Canarsie Courier Queens Chronicle In-kind Atria Senior Living Carmine’s Restaurant Così Costco Con Edison Curtains D'Agostino Supermarkets, Inc. Empire State Building Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Hotel Del Coronado San Diego JetBlue Airways LyonHeart Mars Incorporated New York Spring Water, Inc. NY Apple Association PopCap Games, Inc. Ruth’s Chris Steak House SOYJOY Times Printing Zereoué Restaurant & Bar

Click here to view our entire Memory Walk 2007 photo album.

Junior Committee President Meghann McKale	“Women In Action” Chair Tami Schneider	Coretta Davis dazzles the crowd
		Memory Walk 2007 Band, Ron Sunshine & Full Swing
Memory Wall 2007

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