Alzheimer’s Association Hosts Chicago Walk as Treatment and Testing Advance
Thousands of people flocked to Lincoln Park on Oct. 3 for Chicago’s 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This event was hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association’s Illinois Chapter, and raised more than $1.2 million to support the organization’s research efforts.
Per the BrightFocus Foundation, more than 7 million Americans age 65 or older have Alzheimer’s. The disease currently has no cure.
However, the Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs designed to slow a specific part of the disease’s progression. The treatments, lecanemab and donanemab, both target amyloid-beta plaques, protein clumps that are toxic to nerve cells. According to Dr. Ian Grant, a Northwestern Medicine neurologist, that’s not a coincidence.
“Our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease has generally adhered to what we call the amyloid hypothesis, which is that the amyloid accumulating is the thing that is detrimental and leads to eventually developing symptoms,” Grant said. “So the thinking, I think, has been that that’s the most likely target that could make a difference.”
Grant is planning to test a combination treatment of donanemab and an experimental anti-tau vaccine in individuals with mild or no Alzheimer’s symptoms. A buildup of harmful tau protein tangles inside neurons has been linked to Alzheimer’s progression.
Grant is also studying Alzheimer’s biomarkers, or unique internal signals. He said past research on Alzheimer’s biological calling cards was crucial to the development of amyloid-beta drugs. It also supported another recent breakthrough, Alzheimer’s blood tests. These can detect amyloid-beta or tau levels without requiring a brain scan or spinal tap, improving diagnostic accessibility.
Northwestern Medicine clinical neuropsychologist Sandra Weintraub said that biomarker detection can help distinguish Alzheimer’s from other conditions that cause dementia.
“What was really frustrating before the biomarkers was knowing that, although Alzheimer’s is very common, there are so many other neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia. And you can’t tell them without the biomarkers,” Weintraub said.
But while biological research targets Alzheimer’s root causes, she said cognitive tests are needed to reveal its stage and outlook.
“These tests help us to determine whether you are mildly affected, moderately affected, or severely affected,” Weintraub said. “That helps us counsel people about what can you do about this. Can you stay at home? Can you drive? Can you manage your finances? And those kinds of things you can’t answer with neuroimaging or with biomarkers.”
Ultimately, despite significant advancements in Alzheimer’s treatment and detection, both Grant and Weintraub said that a cure is still a distant possibility.
But for Timothy Woods, a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Illinois Chapter, the walk still holds importance.
“It’s just a way to gather like-minded people that want to see an end to this, whether they’re mourning a loved one or if they’re still in the process of accepting a loved one that is currently living with the disease,” Woods said. “It’s also an opportunity to raise funds to continue on with the mission to do the work, to do the research, to do the caregiving, to give back to the community in order to make this a little bit easier to live with.”
As of Oct. 6, more than 3,000 people had registered for Chicago’s walk.
Before the event, participants created a “Promise Garden” of various-colored synthetic flowers. Each shade represented a different connection to the disease, from expressing general solidarity to personally battling Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Then, following a brief opening ceremony, they set off on either a one-mile or three-mile stroll through Lincoln Park.
Attendees ranged from kids to seniors and even a clown.
“It’s just a very emotional moment, and I think people like my outfit colors,” Antonia Pieczonka, a member of the Chicago Senior Clown Troupe, said. “I don’t have anyone who has Alzheimer’s, but you never know, it could happen to me. I’m glad that they’re doing this because they never did this when I was younger.”
The Alzheimer’s Association holds several walks in the Chicagoland area. According to the Illinois Chapter’s website and event organizer Jen Price, a walk is coming to the North Shore on Oct. 25 in Glenview.