<div>My name is Gabriel Vangelatos, and in April 2027, I’ll take on one of the hardest challenges of my life:
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<div>the
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<div><strong>Cowboy 100</strong>,
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<div>a 100-mile ultramarathon.
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<div>But this isn’t really about a race.
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<div>My father is dying from dementia.
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<div>Watching this disease slowly take pieces of the man I have known and loved my entire life has changed me.
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<div>I’ve watched dementia take memories, independence, conversations, and pieces of the person our family has always known. And I’ve learned that dementia doesn’t only affect the person diagnosed. It reaches the entire family
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<div>the spouses
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<div>and loved ones who watch someone they love slowly change in front of them.
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<div>There are some things dementia can take.
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<div><strong>But it cannot take the memories we carry for them.</strong>
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<div>That is why I’m calling this journey:
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<div><strong> 100 Miles for the Memories</strong>
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<div>I don’t want these 100 miles to simply be about crossing a finish line.
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<div>I want every mile to represent something bigger.
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<div>A memory.
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<div>A family.
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<div>A caregiver.
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<div>A husband or wife.
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<div>A son or daughter.
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<div>A parent or grandparent.
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<div>Someone whose life has been changed by dementia.
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<div>I’ll run the miles.
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<div>But the people and families affected by dementia are the reason those miles matter.
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<div>Through <strong>100 Miles for the Memories</strong>, my goal is to raise money and awareness for the <strong>Dementia Society of America</strong>
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<div>an organization dedicated to supporting people living with dementia, their families, and their care partners through education, awareness, resources, research, and programs focused on improving quality of life.
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<div>Your donation is bigger than sponsoring a runner.
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<div>It represents support for families navigating one of the most difficult journeys imaginable. It helps bring greater awareness to dementia, provides resources and education to people searching for answers, and supports the continued fight to better understand dementia and improve the lives of those affected by it.
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<div>Whether you give $5, $25, $100, or simply share this campaign
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<div><strong>you become part of these 100 miles.</strong>
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<div>Why 100 Miles?
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<div>Because this journey should be hard.
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<div>There will be moments somewhere in those 100 miles when everything in my body tells me to stop.
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<div>When that happens, I’ll remember why I started.
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<div>I’ll think about my father.
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<div>I’ll think about the families who would give anything for one more conversation, one more story, one more moment of recognition.
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<div>I’ll think about the caregivers who keep showing up day after day, even when the person they love may no longer remember everything they have done for them.
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<div>And I’ll keep moving forward.
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<div>One mile at a time.
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<div>One memory at a time.
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<div>Until I reach 100.
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<div>This run is for my dad.
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<div>It’s for every person living with dementia.
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<div>It’s for every caregiver.
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<div>It’s for every family holding onto the memories for someone who no longer can.
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<div>As part of 100 Miles for the Memories, each of the 100 miles can be dedicated to someone whose life has been touched by dementia.
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<div><a href="https://everymilecarriesamemory.org/#share-memory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Add  a memory to the Journey</a> 
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<div>If you are donating in honor or memory of someone you love, please include their name and, if you’d like, a few words about them with your donation.
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<div>I will carry those names with me through the 100 miles.
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<div>Each dedicated mile will represent a person, a family, and a memory worth carrying forward.
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<div>So when I cross that finish line, I won’t be crossing it alone.
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<div>I’ll be carrying my father with me.
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<div>And I’ll be carrying the names and memories of everyone who became part of this journey.
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<div>100 miles.
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<div>100 memories.
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<div>100 miles....
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<div>100 Memories
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<div>For my dad....
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<div>For every family fighting dementia.....
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<div>...For the memories.
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<div>Thank you for donating, sharing this campaign, or simply following this journey.
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<div>Together, let’s make every mile mean something.
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<div>Every Mile Carries a Memory
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Alsacia L Pacsi

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100 Miles for the Memories: Run Against Dementia

100 Miles for the Memories: Run Against Dementia

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