VENTURA : Walk-Run to Benefit Alzheimer’s Assn.

More than 200 people are expected to take part in the third annual Memory Walk and Fun Run at San Buenaventura State Beach on Saturday.

Part of a national event, the walk and run will raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Ventura County.

“We’re hoping to net about $15,000 this year,” said Diane Atkinson-Parker, association president. “Last year we netted around $11,000.”

The higher goal is a recognition that the population is growing older and more people are being diagnosed with the disease, rather than simply being dismissed as senile, she said.

“There’s more awareness now within the community,” Atkinson-Parker said. “More people are just much more affected by it or know someone affected by it.”

There are an estimated 15,000 Alzheimer’s patients in the county.

Potential memory walkers and runners may register from 8 to 9 a.m. at the beach. A $15 registration fee entitles participants to a T-shirt, refreshments and a “goody bag.” The fun run begins at 9:03 a.m. and the walk about 10 minutes later. The person raising the most pledge money receives a free weeklong trip to Maui.

Proceeds help pay for the counseling, workshops and information the association provides to Alzheimer’s patients and their families.

For more information, call 643-2614.