Two hundred and forty-three walkers of all ages enjoyed a brisk morning stroll twice around Warwick Township Community Park in Jamison to raise more than $35,000 for the 12th Annual Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Walk, held late September. The event organizers anticipate that the funds raised may reach closer to $40,000 for the 2025 event.
The annual walk, established in 2014, features an in-person or virtual option so walkers (and pets too!) can participate throughout the United States. In 2020, the virtual option was added which has helped raise more money each year. Since its inaugural year, more than $250,000 has been raised.
The walk’s presenting sponsor is Warwick Township Parks and Recreation Department. The township’s contribution since 2014 will exceed $75,000 in 2025. The Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Walk originated with a local family who established it in memory of their father.
“My family and I began this walk as a way to honor our dad and the difficult journey he faced with Lewy body dementia,” explained Tina Christie, whose parents James and Rose Christie lived in the Warwick Township area. James was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD) in 2009. James worked in the restaurant business for many years and in car sales for O’Neil Nissan, one of the event’s sponsors. Rose retired as the township’s finance director after 25 years. The family works on the event with the township’s director of parks, recreation and open space, Dan Sharapan, and Kristen Belles, the parks and recreation program coordinator.
“What started as a personal tribute has, over the past 12 years, grown into something much bigger—a day of connection, remembrance, and hope for so many others walking their own LBD path,” said Tina, who served on the Lewy Body Dementia Association’s (LBDA) board of directors from 2013 to 2022.
In addition to O’Neil Nissan, the walk’s sponsors included: The Kane-Schneider Foundation – In Memory of Michael Kane, the Kosic Family – In Memory of Bob Kosic, HB&M Marketing Communications, Randazzo’s Pizza, The Jolly Author – Jennifer Randazzo, Bristol House Memory Care and James S. Christie Family. In-kind donors included: Giant Foods of Warrington (fruit), Wawa of Jamison (water), Herr’s Foods (chips) and Sturgis Pretzels (pretzels).
“We have been fortunate that every year our sponsors have covered the expenses of the event. So, every dollar from the registration fee and donations goes straight to LBDA. They use this money for programs, research and support,” Tina noted.
According to LBDA, in the United States an estimated 1.4 million people are affected by Lewy body dementia. Lewy bodies are abnormal deposits of a specific protein in the brain. Although this progressive disease is not considered rare, it is hard to diagnose. A significant number of people affected by the disease, their families and caregivers and many medical professionals are unaware of the symptoms, are misdiagnosed or do not know that the disease exists. It often presents with similar characteristics or symptoms as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. LBD is the second most common form of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
“Each year, we meet people at every stage of the LBD journey—newly diagnosed families, long-time caregivers, and those honoring loved ones they've lost. When we reached the 10-year mark, I wondered if it might be time to step back. But then, that year, it rained—and still, over 200 people showed up. That moment made it clear: this walk matters. We had to keep going,” Tina said.
There is no cure for LBD but with an early and accurate diagnosis, patients with LBD may react differently to medications that are frequently prescribed for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s patients. Some drugs prescribed for these patients can worsen LBD symptoms so a correct LBD diagnosis is essential.
“This is a difficult and challenging disease to deal with,” Tina noted. LBDA offers supportive services for caregivers and anyone affected through the website or the “Lewy Line” at 800-539-9767.
“This day has become incredibly special to my family, and I always hope it feels just as meaningful to everyone who joins. Some families have walked with us every single year since the beginning, and that shared commitment is deeply moving. Although my family and I all have full-time jobs and busy lives, by the time May rolls around, the walk planning becomes our top priority. It’s a labor of love, and we’re committed to continuing—because the need is still there, and the community we’ve built is worth every step,” Tina said.
Tina’s mom, Rose Christie, and several family members are involved with organizing the walk each year including Tina’s husband, Jay Felder, and her brother and sister-in-law Jim and Michelle Christie, niece and nephew Brooke and Nicholas Christie, and uncle Reverend Bill Chiriaco.
Lewy body dementia is named for a German American neurologist Friedrich Lewy, who was researching Parkinson’s disease in the early 20th century and discovered the abnormal protein deposits in the brain.
To learn more about Lewy body dementia, visit www.lbda.org. To learn more about the 2026 walk or to become a sponsor, email Tina Christie at tina.christie@comcast.net.
