Alzheimer's target of Saturday's 'amble' </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 10:42 PM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Alzheimer's target of Saturday's 'amble'

By McKibben Jackinsky
Staff writer

Photo by McKibben Jackinsky

"Until there's a cure" was the theme of Saturday's Amblin' for Alzheimer's 6-mile run and 2-mile walk. Organizers included, from left, Angela Anderson from the Anchorage office of Alzheimer's Disease Resource Agency of Alaska; Kelly Dennison of South Peninsula Hospital; Fran Kelly, development director of ADRAA; Charlie Michon, top fundraiser from Homer; Julie Beatty, education director for ADRAA in Homer; and Jackie Brunton of Anchorage, ADRAA board president.

See more photos of the event on Spotted

For Homer resident Charlie Michon, raising funds to find a cure for Alzheimer's is a personal mission. Six members of Michon's family have been impacted by the disease.

Heart surgery means Michon is no longer able to run or walking in Amblin' for Alzheimer's, an event raising funds for programs sponsored by Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska. However, he has found his niche as the Homer event's top fundraiser. Last year, Michon single-handedly brought in $5,500. This year, he's still counting.

Michon was among those cheering the 48 runners and walkers in Saturday's event. The start and finish lines were at Lighthouse Village. A crew of 15 volunteers, including area residents and ARA staff and volunteers from Homer and Anchorage registered participants, set up signs, stopped traffic, handed out cups of water and tracked finish times. Runners reaching the half-way mark were handed blue bracelets printed with the slogan, "Until a cure is found."

This was the first time since Amblin' for Alzheimer's began in Homer in 1994, that it included a competitive 10K run, as well as a two-mile walk. Tux Seims and Catriona Lowe took top honors as the first man and woman to cross the finish line.

See more photos of the event on Spotted