Thousands participate in annual Walk to End Alzheimer's in Lincoln Park

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thousands of people came together in Chicago's Lincoln Park on Saturday morning for a unified mission.

The annual Walk to End Alzheimer's stepped off at 10 a.m. Participants had the choice of walking either 1 mile or 3 miles.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

"We want them to walk away with hope. We want them to know every dollar they raised, every step they take is getting us one step closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease," said Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter Executive Director Delia Jervier.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, right now, more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, which is a leading cause of death in the United States. There are also more than 260,000 people living with the disease in Illinois.

"I think this disease has a much larger reach than people realize. There are 7 million Americans living with the disease, but I think that number is under-analyzed, when it probably is, because not everyone reports they have a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease," said MaryGrace Sharp with the Alzheimer's Association.

Ahead of the moving walk, participants honored those affected by Alzheimer's with the Promise Garden ceremony.

Different colors represent different things to families.

A purple flower represents someone who has lost a loved one to the disease. Blue is for someone living with Alzheimer's, yellow for caregivers and orange for supporters working to find a cure.

"You do feel alone when you're caring for someone with Alzheimer's or has dementia," said Stephen Andrews.

Andrews and his family planted a purple flower in honor of his mother, Carol Andrews, who recently passed away.

"It really does help to see other people caring for people and we need to support others that are going through it right now," Andrews said.

Jen Price walked with her family to honor her mother, who is currently living with the disease.

"We want to make sure that we are constantly researching and raising the funds to research so we can find some better treatments," Price said.

ABC7 Anchor Tanja Babich served as the emcee for Saturday's event, motivating the crowd.

"I lost my grandmother to complications from Alzheimer's and dementia a couple years ago, so I know firsthand how challenging this disease can be for so many people," Babich said.

More than $1 million has already been raised for the Alzheimer's Association this year. The goal is $1.4 million, so they are getting close.