RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Thousands of Richmond residents hit the pavement every year to support Alzheimer's research at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's.

Organized by the Alzheimer's Association, the event will return this weekend on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 a.m.

This year, the inspiring walk is also closing in on a major fundraising milestone — fueled by volunteers like Anna Harris, who knows the devastating impact of dementia firsthand.

For Harris, the diagnosis of her father, 73-year-old Larry Regen — known to everyone as "Papa" — has been a life-altering experience.

“We had noticed a lot of changes in his communication, his memory. And at one point, he said, ‘My brain just feels jumbled,' so I knew we had to jump in and try to figure this out,” Harris said. • (Photo: Anna Harris

See Full Page