More than 200 people gathered at Buker School in Augusta this morning to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Despite the chilly temperatures and drizzle, family members, friends and caregivers prepared to take off on the 2.8 mile walk. The walk is a fundraiser and a chance to raise awareness of the disease, which afflicts 37,000 people in Maine.

“It has such a tremendous impact on entire families,” said Laurie Trenholm, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine.