SIDNEY — Alzheimer’s Disease has no survivors.

During the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, there is no survivors tent, or survivors lap, because having this disease is fatal, and there is no cure, said Katie Mauch, walk coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Association, at an Alzheimer’s Awareness Lunch at the Sidney Moose Lodge on Thursday.

“There is no way to slow it or prevent it. It’s the sixth leading cause of death in Ohio and the United States. It’s the only leading cause of death in the top 10 with no way to slow, cure or prevent the disease,” Mauch said. “This means that every other common cause of death we face in this country has a way to either slow it, prevent it, or cure it.”

More than 5,000,000 Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease and that number is expected to triple by 2050. In Shelby County there are an estimated 1,000 people living with Alzheimer’s.

“The unfortunate truth is, if you have a brain, you are at risk of developing the disease,” she said. “Every member of our community no matter their race, gender or background, is at risk of developing it.”

The annual costs of Alzheimer’s is estimated to be $236 billion. In 2015, more than 15,000,000 caregivers provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care across the country.

The money raised at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is given to those caregivers and to research being done on the disease.

“We can not afford to do nothing. One in three seniors will die with Alzheimer’s,” Mauch said. “When someone supports the Alzheimer’s Association, they are supporting our full mission: which includes research to end this disease, and care and support services for those who are currently impacted by it.”

Courtney Deutsch, a team captain, shared the story of her father Charles Wendeln, of Russia, who passed away from the disease in February at 70-years-old.

She described his diagnosis at 67-years-old and steady 18-month decline.

“The disease was relentless on him. It didn’t just take away his memory. I feel like that’s what everybody thinks of when they hear the word Alzheimer’s, sure he lost his memory, but to be quite honest, it was the least of his problems,” Deutsch said.

Alzheimer’s affects anything the brain controls, like movement, language, mood, and personality. It is the most common type of dementia.

“It’s time to get real about how horrible this disease can be and it’s time to start telling these stories publicly so that we can create some urgency for the need for a cure,” Deutsch said. “This disease is hard, it is messy, it is frustrating, and it is sad and will push you to your limit and far far beyond.”

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Sidney will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, in downtown Sidney on the courtsquare. Registration starts at 9 a.m., with the opening ceremony to start at 10 a.m. You can sign up as a team captain, volunteer, or donate at http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2016/OH-MiamiValley?fr_id=9228&pg=entry.