Welcome to TEAM ALVACO team page for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®! Our team is walking in honor of Mirta Alvarez and in memory of Mirta Acosta. Hello, my name is Ashley Alvarez and this year I wanted to build a team made of family and friends that of my mother, Mirta Alvarez and my grandmother, Mirta Acosta. 

 As family and friends, you may already know that my mother was a teacher for 45 years. To this day, all of her students know me and my siblings as Mrs. Alvarez's daughter or son, and ask that I say hello to her along with a small memory they had with her. Sadly, she can no longer share these small cherished memories with her students. My mother was and has always been a kind soul to everyone but especially children. Being the last of her 4 children, I was given the greatest gift of being her 'little flower', mi florecita, she would call me, and that came with many privileges. What made our bond so special was her way with me and knowing I needed just a little extra attention to succeed. She saw in me what no one did as she would do for her students.

In 2014, my maternal grandmother passed away with late-onset Alzheimer's. That same year we received the diagnosis of my mother's early-onset Alzheimer's. If you have ever had experience with this disease you learn to grieve for your loved one early on. On the day that we buried my grandmother, I cried more than I have ever before not just for my grandmother but because I knew that my mother was next. 

My mother's diagnosis was devastating for our family, most especially to my father, Pedro Alvarez. My father has been dedicated to my mother's care for 10 years and the most relentless advocate for her. For nearly 50 years, my parent's love for each other has been an example for not only my siblings but for many in the community as they have guided many couples in preparation for their weddings. They always emphasized the need to be strong for each other through any circumstances life presents and confront them together as one with love for one another. 

The loss from this disease is gradual — and painstaking. My Mother’s decline continued for several years. Losing my Mother more and more each day was leaving a big hole in my heart and my life as well as my father's and siblings. I decided to fill that hole with action to honor my Mother and to advocate for her and millions living with this disease.

By participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's, we raising funds and awareness to advance the fight against this disease - funds that allow the Alzheimer's Association to provide 24/7 care and support to families like mine while accelerating critical research.\u2028\u2028

Currently there are nearly 7 million people living with Alzheimer's disease and 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementia's.

Families facing Alzheimer's and all other dementia need us now more than ever - and with your help, we can be there for them. I ask that you please join our team and/or donate in honor of my mother and/or any loved one who has experienced this terrible disease.

Together, we can end Alzheimer's disease.