Oakland Team Helps Raise $500k to Fight Alzheimer's

By Andi Burgess, Senior Executive Assistant, Commercial Division

On a brisk October fall day in San Ramon, Calif., a team of Matson employees, friends, family members, and furry mascots gathered to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Backed by donations from dozens of their Matson colleagues, the walkers raised $7,195, with the help of Matson Giving, to assist Alzheimer’s education, caregiver support, and, most importantly, research to find a cure for this disease.

Over six million Americans are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, and it is the third leading cause of death among seniors. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills until the individual loses the ability to undertake even simple tasks. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s. This disease has a devastating impact on the loved ones, friends, and family members of the patient, as too many Matson families know all too well.

I am one of those family members touched by Alzheimer’s, and I was honored to help lead the Matson effort to raise funds for and draw attention to combatting this disease. I was touched by my colleagues who reached out to me to share their experience with Alzheimer’s disease in their families and how important this cause is to them. On behalf of everyone who walked this year, we thank our co-workers for their generosity.  When we band together to address pressing problems that impact the Matson ohana, we can make a real difference and do our part to help make the world better, one cause at a time.

According to Maya Geurtsen, director of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, “The 2023 East Bay Walk to End Alzheimer’s was a big success. Every dollar raised gets us closer to a cure, and we’ve raised $532,000 to date. We had 1,650+ participants, 250 teams, and our event sponsors to thank for that. We especially want to thank our Company Teams like Team Matson for providing Alzheimer’s and dementia education programs to their employees, organizing a team to participate in the event, and matching employee donations. We could not do this important work without our community, and we are so thankful for the support we receive each year.”

I would especially like to thank Monique Ashton from Matson’s Wellness Committee for hosting an employee webinar to learn more about brain health and for providing the Mainland Giving Committee’s support for the Walk. I look forward to joining my colleagues again next year to continue the fight to end Alzheimer’s, and I hope to see you there!