We are current and former employees of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia ("PDS").  We are walking in memory of Charles J. Ogletree -- a former staff attorney, training director, trial chief and Deputy Director of PDS.   Charles Ogletree was a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School and an acclaimed lawyer, author, activist and civil rights leader.  But we knew him as "Tree" -- our colleague, mentor, teacher, leader and beloved friend.  In 2016 Tree announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In typical Tree fashion, he vowed to fight the disease, raise awareness, and become an advocate for Alzheimer's research.  With the loving care and and support of his wife Pam, Tree battled Alzheimer's with courage and dignity until he passed on August 4, 2023.  We will continue the fight to end Alzheimer's in Tree's name as we walk to end Alzheimer's in Washington, DC on September 28th.   The PDS motto includes the words "Champions of Liberty."  We are Tree's Champions of Liberty and we invite you to join our effort to advance research to treat and prevent Alzheimer's.