BUTTE — A giant 600-square-foot purple heart now decorates the intersection of Broadway and Main Street in Uptown Butte, marking the start of a months-long campaign to raise awareness for Alzheimer's disease.
Local healthcare workers Hailey Crawford, Kristin Chiamulera, and Nicole Bollich volunteered their time to paint the heart. The effort is part of the "Paint the Town Purple" initiative leading up to Butte's first nationally recognized Walk to End Alzheimer's on Oct. 4.
WATCH: Local healthcare workers in Butte are painting the town purple to raise awareness for Alzheimer's disease
"We have seen how this affects our patients, our families, caregivers, and we are really close to some breaking-edge Alzheimer's cures," Crawford said.
Alzheimer's affects one in five Montanans, but the Mining City sees a higher rate than other cities in the state.
"Butte is affected more in the way that we have an older generation compared to a lot of towns in Montana, so just, our healthcare, we have a higher geriatric population than the other towns," Crawford said.
The volunteer group is planning events each month leading up to the October walk. In addition to the giant street art, they are painting business fronts purple, selling t-shirts, and hosting a golf tournament at the end of May.
"We have an awareness month, 'Paint the Town Purple', to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's and all types of dementia, and Oct. 4th is the first official Butte, Montana, Walk to End Alzheimer's," Chiamulera said.
Organizers remain optimistic about the future of Alzheimer's research and treatment.
"Hopefully we're really close to getting a cure for Alzheimer's," Crawford said.
To get involved in upcoming events or find resources for loved ones, residents can contact The Springs or Big Sky Senior Living.
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