Walk to End Alzheimer’s takes place in Las Cruces with small groups

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - Passionate advocates took to the streets of Las Cruces Saturday morning, determined to safely communicate their mission to end Alzheimer's Disease.

"We are keeping to small groups and distancing, but more importantly we are walking to end Alzheimer's," said Tim Sheahan, the executive director of the New Mexico chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

The group is raising money to help families affected by the Alzheimer's and to fund research toward preventing and treating the disease.

On Saturday, the opening ceremony of the event had several local speakers and a drive-by display of "Promise Flowers," which honor the reasons why participants feel personally motivated to fight the disease and all forms of dementia.

"We normally gather in a big park," Sheahan said. "They're walking in their neighborhoods, they're walking on trails, they are walking wherever they want to. That's the key thing."

According to the group, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States