There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the premier of the biographical drama The Walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt about a daredevil in the 1970s who plans to walk a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers. However, The Buckingham, Houston’s premier life care senior living community, is focused on generating buzz about a very different walk in the Houston area for a cause that trumps any cinematic experience. The Buckingham is raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Association and is assembling a team for the November 7 local Walk to End Alzheimer’s^® event.  Residents, family members, and staff members of The Buckingham have made the pledge to walk and recently held a kick-off event. Their goal is to increase awareness about and raise funds to support research efforts to find a cure, provide more treatment options and identify preventive methods for Alzheimer’s Disease. The Buckingham’s goal is to make a donation of $20,000 to the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and the community already expects to exceed that amount.

“With more than 340,000 Texans now living with Alzheimer’s and a new diagnosis resulting every 67 seconds in our nation, it is critical to make sure people are knowledgeable about this common form of dementia and support those who are researching it further,” said Julie Fenske, executive director of The Buckingham and board member of the Alzheimer’s Association.  “We at The Buckingham want to take part in educating the community at large and equipping people with the proper resources so that they can be informed as well as optimistic if they have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or are diagnosed with it themselves. Events like this kick-off celebration are always unifying and uplifting as we join forces for such a worthy cause.” 

Leading up to the walk in November, The Buckingham will host a series of events to raise funds including a “Pet Mascot” contest during which residents and employees can donate to vote for their favorite community pet. At the recent kick-off event, The Buckingham hosted a silent auction featuring an assortment of items provided by vendors such as Stella & Dot and Family Tree. So far, the team has raised more than $4,500 and has a team of nearly 20 members, which is still growing. The Buckingham typically has more than 50 residents participate in the walk each year and would welcome other friends and community members in the area to join their team.

As Houston’s only life care community, The Buckingham has not only resort-style independent living residences but multiple levels of living, all located on the same campus. The Plaza at The Buckingham provides a full range of health care services onsite, including memory support. Therefore, many staff members at the community are personally motivated to join this effort as they witness firsthand the effects of dementia and work with families daily to help them better understand Alzheimer’s. The Buckingham has participated every year since 2007 and has been recognized as the top corporate fund raiser on several occasions.

If you are interested in joining The Buckingham team or would like to donate toward The Buckingham community’s goal, visit the 2015 Houston’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s website and search for The Partners of The Buckingham Team.