Wareham personal trainer raises £45,000 for Alzheimer's Society
Alex Eversden is hoping to up the total even further this weekend
A personal trainer from Wareham has raised £45,000 for charity - and is planning to boost the total further this weekend (Sunday 11th November).
Alex Eversden has been supporting the Alzheimer's Society, in memory of her mum, Lily Murray, who had dementia.
Alex has been putting on the 'Together for Alzheimer's' 5km run at Wareham Forest for the last 15 years, with the latest event on Sunday. She said:
“After Mum died, the kids and I decided to do something as we were feeling helpless so started organising this. For the past fifteen years I’ve had overwhelming support from friends and family who make all sorts of cakes, help with the carpark and registration. My husband is the race director and starts the race on his bike and cycles around encouraging everyone to finish.
"It’s a very relaxed event and as it can also be done virtually, there have been people joining in in Spain and Australia. Many like to get involved because they’re also experiencing heartache as their family members are living with or have had dementia as well.”
Nicole Ray, Alzheimer's Society’s Community Fundraiser said:
“We are hugely grateful to Alex for her unwavering support and for raising £44,683 for the charity. It’s such an incredible achievement. There are 8,020 people living with dementia in Dorset and too many are facing it alone.
“We want everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you’re going through, you can turn to Alzheimer’s Society for help with practical advice, emotional support, and guidance for the best next step.
“Last year, Alzheimer’s Society services were used over 4.2 million times and people tell us this support is a real lifeline. Thanks to the generous support from fundraisers like Alex, we can be there as a vital source of support and a powerful force for change for everyone affected by dementia.”