Hurricane Matthew may be threatening the East Coast, but Washington’s 12^th-annual Alzheimer’s Walk and Education Fair is still on.

Set for Saturday morning, the 2-mile walk is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., and the indoor education fair, which includes 18 exhibits, will run from 9 a.m. to noon.

The indoor fair is meant to reach out to caregivers and give them the information they need about the disease. It includes flu shots, courtesy of Walgreens, a Kids’ Corner and a silent auction.

Event organizer Emily Albera said one of the concerns is flooding around Red Men’s Lodge, where the event will be held, but forecasters are saying the heaviest rain won’t come until Saturday evening.

As long as conditions are safe, the Alzheimer’s event will continue, Albera said.

“We’ve always said rain or shine. If it’s raining without danger, people will walk,” she said. “If I have to wear my raincoat, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

The situation is nothing new for organizers, as last year’s Hurricane Joaquin threatened to shut down the 2015 walk. The event continued, however, and Albera said she’s hoping that will be the case this time around.

The exhibits — or “experts,” as they’re called — are also on board with having the event. Albera said there have only been two cancellations, both unrelated to the weather.

There is also the option to have a table at Greenville’s Alzheimer’s Walk in November if the situation comes to that. If Saturday’s event is cancelled, Albera said those who still want to walk in honor of a loved one have other options, including the Greenville walk and potentially a later walk on the trail at Beaufort County Community College.

Hurricane or not, the goal is to raise support for those who have Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers — a cause close to Albera’s heart, as she cared for her mother through almost 20 years of battling the disease.

Albera said a final decision about whether the event go on as scheduled will be made Friday.

“At this point, we’re still on go,” she said.

 

UPDATE: The Alzheimer’s Walk and Education Fair has been cancelled due to flooding concerns.