Thursday, October 1, 2026
Purple, yellow, blue and orange flowers filled the Promise Garden at Eisenhower Park on Oct. 4, as hundreds came together for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Among them was the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club, whose members once again showed their deep commitment to the cause.
“We usually do the Alzheimer work, because, you know, Alzheimer’s is something that affects every family. And so we, the club, usually do a fundraiser. We make a donation, and then we also solicit people to join and make donations to the work,” explained Comfort Itoka, president of the Freeport-Merrick Rotary.
The club’s dedication is rooted in personal experience.
“Almost everyone in our club lost someone to Alzheimer’s, more than one person to Alzheimer’s,” Itoka said. “And with some of us that are aging, we are also concerned, because anyone could develop it.”
“I lost my sister in August,” she added. “She completely could not have a conversation with me. She had lost it. She had Alzheimer’s and she was 88 years old. It hurts to lose your family while they are alive, because that’s why Alzheimer’s is. You have a family member who cannot recognize you, that you cannot have a conversation with. It hurts.”
The Freeport-Merrick Rotary has been involved in the walk for about five years, with last year’s group including about 15 people, including students from Freeport High School’s community effort.
This year, the club had its own table at the event. The Freeport-Merrick club meets monthly at Bobby Q’s in Freeport, having finally found a local meeting spot after an extended period of hosting their meetings in Rockville Centre.
The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the organization’s largest fundraiser, fueling cutting-edge research while also giving families and caregivers a chance to honor loved ones and show solidarity in the fight against the disease. Participants carried flowers of various colors — each one symbolizing a personal connection to Alzheimer’s — during the moving Promise Garden ceremony.
Tinamarie Hardekopf, the association’s director of development and director for walks in Babylon, Eisenhower Park and Fire Island, said this year’s event reflected the continued growth of the movement.
“We definitely grow every year, in numbers of attendees and as well as fundraising,” she said. “It’s really important for people to come out because it gives them an opportunity to show their support for a world without Alzheimer’s — they can also memorialize a loved one they’ve lost, or they can support someone that they’re caring for at this time.”
Post-walk, Hardekopf extended her thanks to this year’s walk participants, volunteers and sponsors.
“The funds raised will help fuel disease research while also providing critical care and support to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia,” she said in a release shared with the Herald.
The Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter not only raises money for research but also provides a vital support network for people with Alzheimer’s, their families, friends and caretakers.
“We consider our walks the largest support group,” Hardekopf added. “Everyone comes together and they each carry a flower that shows their connection to the disease.”
For Tanya Eldemeyer of Rockville Centre, the walk carried deep personal meaning. Her father passed away last year from dementia, and she continues to stand as a strong advocate for the cause.
“I basically was his sole caregiver,” she said. “It was such a difficult road… There are people out there that are in the same situation, and I felt like this was a way that I could continue my dad’s legacy and help those that may not have someone fighting and advocating for them.”
Eldemeyer carried a purple flower during the Promise Garden ceremony, symbolizing the loss of her father.
Courtney Henley, an advocate with the organization whose father died form early-onset Alzheimer’s said, “My family has been attending the Nassau Walk for more than 20 years and it has grown tremendously. The sense of community and enthusiasm is inspiring to see, motivating you to make a difference in your local community. It is such a fun walk with alot of incredible people.”
According to the Long Island Chapter, more than 426,500 New Yorkers aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s Dementia, and over 7 million across the country. While symptoms of the disease often appear later in life, the brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s can begin decades earlier — making early awareness and intervention critical.
Ed Miller, vice chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter Board of Directors, has played a leading role in Nassau County’s walk for the past three years. He joined the chapter after his own father was diagnosed with dementia in 2019, and he said the community’s involvement provides real hope.
“There’s been a lot of breakthroughs that have come out in the news over the course of the last couple of years,” Miller said in a prior conversation with the Herald. “These are treatments that aren’t going to eradicate the disease at this point, but they are treatments, and there is hope.”
As of press time, this year’s walk has raised over $349,000 toward the chapter’s $385,000 goal — already 84 percent of the way. For more on the organization and its efforts, visit Act.ALZ.org/Nassau. Donations are accepted through Dec. 31.
Additional reporting by Jordan Vallone.
