Medina Alzheimer’s walk raises nearly $50,000 at Buckeye Woods Park
Event draws 200 participants in Lafayette Township, surpasses 2024 fundraising total
The 2025 Medina Walk to End Alzheimer’s drew more than 200 participants to Buckeye Woods Park and raised nearly $50,000 to support care, caregivers and research.Submitted
More than 200 people joined the 2025 Medina Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Buckeye Woods Park, raising close to $50,000 for support services and research.Lorraine Sipos
More than 200 participants walked in Buckeye Woods Park on Saturday, Sept. 13, raising funds to provide care for people with Alzheimer’s, support their caregivers and accelerate research to treat and end the disease.
The 2025 Medina Walk to End Alzheimer’s was the first of nine walks scheduled in Northeast Ohio. The event raised nearly $50,000 of its $52,000 goal, and fundraising will continue until the end of the year. Organizers have already surpassed the $45,636 raised in 2024.
“We were thrilled to see so many new Walk participants as well as many veterans who have walked with us for many years,” said Melissa Shelton, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater East Ohio and Cleveland Area chapters. Modern Hearing Solutions sponsored Medina’s Walk.
In previous years, the event was held on Medina Square, but in 2025 it was moved to Buckeye Woods Medina County Park in Lafayette Township. The park pavilion provided an area for participants to learn about Alzheimer’s care services, advances in treatment and recent research developments. Outside, there was an event stage, a sponsor area, a kids zone and tents where participants could pick up windmill flowers for the Promise Garden.
The Promise Garden symbolizes solidarity in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Blue represents someone living with the disease or another form of dementia, purple is in memory of someone lost to the disease, yellow represents caregivers and orange is for participants who support the cause.
“Buckeye Woods Park was an ideal setting for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, as there is a natural one-mile and three-mile route that is paved and very scenic,” Shelton said. “This allows our participants of any ability to walk at their own pace safely.”
She added, “Walks bring people together and reassure them that they’re not alone in their journey. Every step we take as a community takes us closer to a cure and to achieving our mission of a world without Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
The number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. is more than 7 million, including 236,200 in Ohio. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that cases have more than doubled between 2000 and 2022.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s or other dementias, and to access free support and resources, visit alz.org/eastohio or call the Greater East Ohio Chapter at 330-966-7343.
