Community comes out to support man doing marathon skate for Alzheimer’s disease

A mail carrier and hockey referee has successfully completed a marathon skate to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s disease.

Steve McNeil has done 30 marathon skates in just 10 years, all of which have been in honour of his mother.

“I went out to city hall in Toronto on Chritmas morning at 12 a.m. in 2012 and skated for 19 hours and 26 minutes. It was just my way of telling my mom I loved her. The following February she passed away from complications from battling Alzheimer’s for 20 years,” said McNeil.

His dedication to raising money and awareness for Alzheimer’s has touched many with members of the community coming out to support him as he completed his more recent skate.

Our family is very affected with Alzheimer’s. Right now, my dad is living at home but he is 93. He has dementia. We deal with the Alzheimer’s Society and they are phenomenal,” said spectator Jeff Hassin. “My mother passed away with Alzheimer’s 20 years ago so I thought what an awesome thing to come down and make a contribution and tell the gentleman thank you very much.”

The Alzheimer’s Society of Niagara says awareness is needed. Over half a million people are affected by the disease and that number is expected to increase to a million over the next ten years.

McNeil is asking members of the public to donate $19.26 to their local Alzheimer’s Society in memory of his mother who was born in the year 1926.