CANTON -- Canton’s Partridge Run Golf and Country Club hosted a record-breaking Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sunday.

The 14th annual event raised a record-breaking $55,971 and attracted its largest crowd ever.

“Today’s event was a tribute to the hard work and relentlessness of our Canton committee,” said Catherine James, chief executive officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter. “We stand in awe of both their effort and the generosity of those who live here in St. Lawrence county.”

Walk to End Alzheimer’s participants did more than complete the three-mile walk. They learned about Alzheimer’s disease and how to get involved with this critical cause. Funds raised at the event provide care and support programs for the North Country, as well as medical and scientific research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Lucia Johnson of Massena was the event’s leading fundraiser with $2,867. Memory Keepers, her family’s team, raised $6,168 and earned the top family and friends team honor. The Johnsons walk in memory of Leon Johnson, Lucia’s late husband who courageously fought Alzheimer’s disease until his passing in 2013.

Community Bank, N.A., one of the presenting sponsors for the event, was the top corporate fundraising team with $4,673. United Journey, a team comprised of family and friends of United Helpers’ Maplewood campus, raised $6,554 and was the top senior care team.

Sunday's Walk to End Alzheimer’s® was presented by Blevins Auto Group, Community Bank, N.A., Kinney Drugs Foundation, and Save-A-Lot.

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing epidemic and the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death. As baby boomers age, the number of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease will rapidly escalate, increasing well beyond today’s more than 5 million Americans to as many as 16 million by 2050. In New York alone, there are 380,000 people living with Alzheimer’s. For more information or to make a donation, visit alz.org/walk.