MOSES LAKE — In normal circumstances it would be pretty rare to see a bunch of people all gathered in one spot wearing purple. Purple was considered the going trend Thursday night during the Purple Party in Moses Lake.

Thursday night’s event at the Porterhouse Steakhouse marks the third year the event has been held in Moses Lake. The idea behind the party is to encourage people to sign up to walk in the Columbia Basin Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which will be held Sept. 16 at Yonezawa Park, 300 Yonezawa Blvd. The party featured music, raffles, food, drinks and information on the walk presented to attendees.

“The last couple of years the Purple Party has been really great, last year we didn’t have as many registrants however and I think it’s because we didn’t push it as hard. This year however we hit the ground running and really got the word out,” Alzheimer’s Association Special Events Coordinator Leslie Woodfill said.

Woodfill is hoping to have more than 250 people participate in the year’s walk, a number that is up from last year’s attendance.

“Last year it rained like a son of a gun. It was crazy. So because it rained last year we are not allowing it to rain this year. It’s just the rule,” Woodfill remarked with a smile. “It’s a 3-mile walk, but people are welcome to go shorter if they just can’t make it.”

Alzheimer's Disease affects more than 5 million Americans, with over 123,000 people suffering from the disease in Washington and Idaho alone. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the person who has the disease. There is a ripple effect. In 2016, 15.9 million American caregivers gave around 18.2 billion hours of unpaid care, valued at $230.1 billion. In 2017 alone Alzheimer's is expected to cost the country $259 billion, with the number expected to hit $1 trillion by 2050, according to www.act.alz.org.

Those figures drive the Basin’s walk and walks around the world, with funds raised going to local programs and research. One of the exciting things happening in Alzheimer’s research, Woodfill explained, is the introduction of a new scientific study that details a new blood test that is in the works to detect if a person might have the disease.

“It diagnoses whether or not somebody carries the plaques or stuff in their blood system, which then of course attaches to the brain,” she said. “It’s a huge deal because PET scans are so expensive and with this blood test it is so much easier. So that is one of the things that research dollars have paid for.”

Funds raised also go to help support local community programs, caregivers, classes and family members of people with Alzheimer's. The walk is fast approaching and people are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.

For more information contact Leslie Woodfill at 509-456-0456 or lwoodfill@alz.org. To register for the walk visit act.alz.org.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.