Purple and positivity were the words of the day at Sunday’s 30th annual Fairfield County Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.

“It’s a very positive, uplifting event,” Norwalk resident Giovanna Losardo said. “This is the big day. It’s what we work for.”

This year’s walk had about 20 times the attendance of the first - but the mission stays the same.

“We're trying to make a difference, raise money and awareness,” Fairfield resident Jen Rosenberg said.

“It's just so painful, and such a long and trying thing to go through,” Losardo said. “It impacts you.”

Over the years, the walks have raised millions for Alzheimer’s patients and their families, aiding research and the local hotline. This year added $400,000 to the total.

News12’s own Alexa Farrell emceed the event, instructing those in the crowd to wave their flowers in unity.

Those living with Alzheimer’s lifted their blue flowers. The orange were for supporters, yellow for caregivers, and purple for those who have lost a loved one to the disease. It’s a collage of colors to show how Alzheimer’s impacts everyone.

“I lost both my parents to the disease,” Losardo said.

“My mom has been suffering - we’ve all been suffering - from her having Alzheimer’s for the last 10 years,” Rosenberg said.

“It's not just the person who gets the diagnosis, it’s the people who care for them, and that reflects on people in a lot of different ways,” Rosenberg’s son, Max, said. “So, it's important that young people get educated on how Alzheimer's works, and how they can support their loved ones when they go through a time like this.”

Sunday’s finish line came after a two-mile walk on the beach - but for all the local families battling Alzheimer’s, the finish they’re in search of is the cure.

“I could be at risk to get the disease myself, and I don’t want my daughter to go through what I went through,” Losardo said.

“It’s the only disease out there that there is not one survivor - and we hope to change that,” Rosenberg said.