A nationwide virtual steps challenge by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association.

 

Singapore will be asked to go the extra mile for the dementia community in September, as the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) launches a nationwide virtual steps challenge for participants to show their support for some 100,000 people living with dementia during World Alzheimer’s Month.

Called ADA Walk2Remember 2020, the 21-day virtual steps challenge will be held from September 1 to 21, 2020. There is a total of four challenge categories to be completed over the course of 21 days – 20,000 steps; 50,000 steps; 100,000 steps; and 200,000 steps. Participation is free.

Jason Foo, CEO of ADA, said: “This year, we want to cherish persons with dementia and their families, and show them that we are not going to leave them behind in this rapidly changing and developing society.

“Their journeys – be it living with the condition, caregiving, or providing support – are unique, emotional, rewarding and often challenging. The ADA Walk2Remember 2020 is our way of empowering more people to walk this journey for, and with, our dementia community.”

Participants will be invited to register for the virtual steps challenge via ADA’s virtual race partner, 42Race. They will then be prompted to download the virtual race application on their mobile phones, which will run in the background of their smart devices and record the number of steps they take each day. The total number of steps each person clocks will be tallied over 21 days, culminating on September 21, 2020, which is World Alzheimer’s Day. Held every September, World Alzheimer’s Month (WAM) is an international campaign featuring a month-long calendar of events and activities dedicated to raising awareness and challenging the stigma of dementia. This year, ADA’s theme for WAM is empowerment.

Dementia has affected more than 50 million people worldwide. In Singapore, one in 10 people above the age of 60 has dementia, according to the Institute of Mental Health, with the condition affecting one in two people above 85. This translated to an estimated 82,000 cases locally in 2018. The number is expected to exceed 100,000 by 2030 as our population ages rapidly.

** To register for the ADA Walk2Remember 2020, visit: https://web.42race.com/race-bundle/adawalk2remember. 

 

---