William Glass: Walking to Raise Money for Alzheimer's Research

William Glass is walking from Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA for his mother and for millions like her living with some form of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Glass is making the 750-mile trek to raise money for research, but also because he wants to be closer to his mother while they still can spend some quality time together. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with the disease and nearly 15% of the caregivers for people with Alzheimer's or another dementia are long-distance caregivers. Glass is planning on staying once he gets to Atlanta and is looking forward to making some new memories with his mom. He's taking a single flower with him (along with a 25 pound pack on his back). The flower is a symbol of the wildflowers he would pick for her when he was a child. Glass started training for his journey a few months ago, building up his strength and endurance with the goal of averaging 25 miles a day, but he doesn't have a set agenda. His main goal is to speak with as many people along the way as possible in the hopes of raising awareness and spurring donations for research for a disease that has no cure. Glass has commented that whenever he tells someone his mother has Alzheimer's, he usually gets a knowing look or story of support in return. Everyone seems to know someone affected by the disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, deaths from Alzheimer's disease increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010, while deaths from other major diseases decreased. It's a sad statistic for many of those who should be actively enjoying their golden years. You can support Glass's goal with donations or join an upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer's campaign in your state. If you'd like to see how he's doing, follow along on his Facebook page. Do you know someone who has taken up a cause to help others? Nominate them for next week's AmericanTown's Hero.