"There is much pain to endure when watching a loved one suffer with Alzheimer's disease. There is the pain of perpetual grief, the struggle to preserve dignity, and the desire to respect the present while clinging to the past. However, in the midst of the heartache, there is a small glimmer of light that exists, to remind us of the things Alzheimer's can't take away... the warmth of a touch, the importance of smiles and laughter, and the knowledge of what it truly means to experience unconditional love and acceptance." (Unknown)

Team WALK 4 GRETCHEN is raising money and awareness by Walking to End Alzheimer's in honor of a remarkable woman, Gretchen Hepler, who courageously fought this disease right to the end on January 26, 2023.

Alzheimer's took away so many things over the years, but it could never steal how blessed we were to have so many beautiful moments spent together, the hugs and hand holding during visits, the laughs we shared and the joy it brought us, and the importance of touch and her knowing how loved she was right up through her very last breath.

Even amidst a cruel disease that we already knew how the ending would play out long before it happened, there were so many glimmers of beauty, trust, personality, intelligence, braveness, hope, love, humor, understanding, faith, compassion, sweetness, sass, maternal instinct, and strength shining through this incredible woman.

We are Walking to End Alzheimer's with the hope that one day soon nobody else will have to lose their amazing mother/wife/sister/ gramma/aunt/cousin/friend like we did last year.

We can't do this alone. Our team needs you to join us in this fight! There are multiple ways to get involved with raising money and awareness, and you don't even have to leave this page!

Please consider joining our WALK 4 GRETCHEN team and walking on OCTOBER 6 in MADISON, WISCONSIN, or making a donation (online or by mail) to the Alzheimer's Association.

Do it for all the families out there like ours who have been forever affected by this disease. Do it so they can have more time together with their family and friends. Do it for the individuals who are going to be affected by Alzheimer's if we don't find a cure. Together we can WALK TO END Alzheimer's disease and all other dementia.

READY? SET. LET'S WALK!!