Wauconda Students Rally Community, Raise Funds for Alzheimer’s Awareness
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Amanda [LAST NAME]
What started as a personal connection to Alzheimer’s disease turned into a communitywide effort led by students at Wauconda High School.
Max Buchanan, a senior at Wauconda High School, helped organize a student-led Walk to End Alzheimer’s event that brought together more than 100 community members and raised more than $2,200 for the Alzheimer’s Association.
The effort was led through the school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter, a student organization focused on leadership and community service. Buchanan worked with a team of students to plan and execute the event, turning that mission into a project with a direct impact on families affected by Alzheimer’s.
For Buchanan, the cause is personal.
“My family has been involved with the Alzheimer’s Association since 2019, after my grandma was diagnosed with the disease, so this cause has always been very personal to me,” Buchanan said. “We’ve participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for several years, and I wanted to bring that same sense of support and awareness to our local community.”
The walk was planned over several months, beginning in the summer ahead of the school year. Organizing during that time came with challenges, especially when it came to coordinating with students and advisers.
“One of the biggest challenges was that most of the planning happened during the summer when school wasn’t in session,” Buchanan said. “That made it harder to connect with students and advisers and involve as many groups as we wanted.”
To overcome that, the FBLA team focused on consistent communication and leaned on community partnerships, including working with the Wauconda Park District to secure a space for the event.
By the time the walk arrived, those efforts paid off. More than 30 FBLA student volunteers helped run the event, supporting registration, activity stations and logistics as community members gathered at the school — checking in, taking photos and participating in a shared cause.
“The moment that stood out most was seeing people start arriving and realizing how many members of the community actually came out to support the event,” Buchanan said. “Watching families check in, take photos and visit the activity stations made all the months of planning feel worth it.”
The turnout exceeded expectations. The group more than doubled its original fundraising goal, a result Buchanan said reflected the strength of the local community.
“It showed how much our community cares about supporting families affected by Alzheimer’s and helping move research forward,” he said.
The walk is part of a broader effort by Wauconda’s FBLA chapter to stay engaged with the cause. In addition to the event, students participate in a monthly initiative called Meals for All, where they host a student-led meal service and donate proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association.
For Buchanan, the experience has reinforced both the importance of awareness and the role young people can play in advocacy.
“Alzheimer’s is something that affects so many families, but younger generations don’t always realize how common or impactful it is,” he said. “When students get involved, it helps spread awareness and bring new energy to the cause. It also shows that advocacy and community impact aren’t limited by age.”
That impact has also shaped his future plans. Buchanan intends to study neurobiology and pursue research in neurodegenerative diseases after graduating.
“Organizing the walk made the issue feel even more real to me because I was able to see how many people in our community have been affected,” he said. “Experiences like this remind me that behind every statistic are real families.”
He hopes other students see the walk as an example of what is possible.
“I would encourage students to get involved however they can, even if it starts with something small,” Buchanan said. “With the right team and support from community partners, an idea can grow into something that makes a real impact.”
Visit Alz.org/Illinois for resources, volunteer opportunities and more.
