September 21st is annual World Alzheimer’s Day, and local retirement community West Park Crossing is looking to raise funds for it.

They held a Coffee Break event, selling coffee and desserts to help raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

564,000 people live with dementia, and  Alzheimer’s is the most common form. West Park runs memory care programs for those who suffer from it and a support group for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s.

Jody Woodrow is the Community Relations Coordinator for West Park Crossing, and she decided to start the groups just a short few months ago, but it’s grown since then.

“I felt a passion for it. You could see that the families needed to talk to somebody and there’s a huge need for it,” said Woodrow. “The first support group that we had, we actually had over 10 people show up, and it's just growing from there. It’s about helping people that are going through a journey.”

Woodrow started the program after contacting the Alzheimer’s Society for help in running the group.

The group runs every second Monday every month at West Park, and anyone who is a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s and just needs someone to talk to can attend.