As the morning sun rose over Lincoln Park on Oct. 4, a crowd clad in purple walked through the park for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s, some carrying a colored artificial flower that represented their personal relationship with the disease. Together, they placed their flowers in the park, creating a vibrant garden of their different experiences.

Among the crowd were students from Northwestern’s chapter of the Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s, an organization that encourages and supports high school and college students to take part in Alzheimer’s advocacy and education. The walk was organized by the Alzheimer’s Association to raise funds and awareness for a disease that affects over seven million Americans, according to the association’s 2025 report.

Stigma against Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia, remains a barrier to developing the conversation and getting people adequate care.

“I think people are so afraid of (Alzheimer’s). I think it’s due to the fact that people feel there is no hope,” said Kirti Khalsa, CEO and co-founder of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation.

YMAA is a branch of a larger parent organization called Hilarity for Charity, a national non-profit founded in 2012 by comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, Laura Miller Rogen. According to its website, HFC supports Alzheimer’s care and prevention while “bringing laughs and light” to a heavy topic, which is an approach that NU’s YMAA chapter adopts as well.

Weinberg senior and NU YMAA Chapter President Nik Sung credits the comedy background of HFC with encouraging student chapters to think more positively about challenging conversations surrounding Alzheimer’s. The club holds social events that aim to create more enthusiastic lectures during meetings, fostering a positive community that discusses Alzheimer’s awareness and advocacy.

“(The positive approach) also destigmatizes a lot of the myths and misconceptions about Alzheimer’s and those involved,” Sung said. “I think it loosens up the environment and the dialogues a lot, which is, I think, a really good way to approach the conversation.”

Sung believes Alzheimer’s advocacy can take many different forms, from educational guest speakers to chocolate-covered strawberry fundraisers. This year, he said, YMAA is also making the science of Alzheimer’s a new focus of their meetings.

Sung added that the club previously hadn’t talked about the “neural underpinnings” of Alzheimer’s. As several executive board members, including Sung, are involved in neuroscience research at NU, he hopes to change that.

“In order to understand the impact and the scope of Alzheimer’s, the disease itself and why we are spreading awareness, I think it’s really important to understand the scientific background behind it,” he said. 

YMAA also holds quarterly volunteer events with The Pearl of Evanston, a local facility that offers specialized clinical programming to patients in need of short and long-term care.

Through annual fundraising events for The Pearl of Evanston, like Valentine’s Day flower sales, YMAA raises $800 to $900 per quarter. Students also engage in a more personalized approach to understanding the disease, such as painting and singing with Alzheimer’s patients.

By interacting with those affected by the disease, Sung said he learned firsthand what the disease looks like and how it can affect families and friends.

Hearing their life stories has been a highlight of his volunteering experience, he added.

In her time as CEO of ARPF, Khalsa has seen the impact of youth volunteers resonate with those they aim to help.

“It just gives them, the elders, such a push of life and hope and energy. It just gives them more of a feeling of a purpose in life to transmit their experiences and their knowledge,” Khalsa said.

MaryGrace Sharp, an Alzheimer’s Association Program Director for the Illinois chapter, said organizations like YMAA are important for filling awareness gaps.

Often, Sharp noted that early detection of Alzheimer’s isn’t achieved because families aren’t aware of the warning signs.

Sharp added that student organizations can play an important role in helping college students recognize the signs of dementia early on, ultimately “benefiting their families and communities.” 

But building this awareness isn’t without its challenges, especially when it comes to engagement. 

With the busy schedules students have at NU, Sung said member turnout can dwindle over the course of the year. However, he hopes that focusing on the scientific aspect of Alzheimer’s will help sustain member commitment. 

Neuroscience Prof. Dr. Marsel Mesulam, Founding Director Emeritus of the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer’s Disease at NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said there is no “magic bullet” approach to Alzheimer’s advocacy.

He encourages advocates not to “think of the patients as a disease,” but rather to think of them as people.

As for NU YMAA’s members, they are working toward their own “magic bullet.” 

“We want to make sure that we’re spreading that advocacy work with positivity, and standing by our mission,” Sung said.

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X: @Summer_Huu

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