“We hope as you come in here, you feel a welcoming presence,” said Jan Mason, as she formally welcomed people to the Walk for Memories Thursday evening at the Red Baron Arena and Expo.

“It’s just to raise awareness for people,” Jane Nelson Como, of A.C.E. (Advocate Connect Educate) of Lyon County, said of the event. “There is help out there. All these people are willing and able to help out.”

Area organizations and support services, including A.C.E. of Lyon County, A.C.E. of Lincoln County, and the Marshall Area Dementia Awareness Network (MADAN), came together for the annual Walk for Memories. Visitors could take part in an honor walk to recognize loved ones with dementia, as well as learning more about support resources available in southwest Minnesota.

In addition to informational booths and fun activities, Walk for Memories organizers also said they wanted to have space for people to take time out and reflect. The “memory garden” portion of the event space mixed informational displays about dementia and memory loss with features like quiet benches and even a tent with music.

Photo by Deb Gau Guy Stevermer shared his story of caring for his late wife Dianne during part of the Walk for Memories on Thursday. Stevermer was recognized for his support for area residents affected by dementia and their families.

“We wanted it to be a journey when people came in here,” Mason said of the memory garden. She said organizers wanted the garden to be an uplifting and hopeful place, in addition to sharing information about different parts of the dementia journey. “The focus is that they don’t have to do this alone.”

One special recognition at this year’s Walk for Memories went to musician Guy Stevermer, who played guitar and sang for walk participants Thursday. Stevermer “is someone who has quietly supported us, bringing beautiful music,” Mason said. Stevermer has been part of Boulder Creek Memory Care’s annual family fun day for the past five years.

Stevermer said he and his wife Dianne went through their own journey with dementia over the past few years. Guy took on a caretaker role, as Dianne experienced dementia and other medical conditions in the years before her death in 2025.

Stevermer said the experience was something that has had an impact on him.

“I have much more empathy for people who are sick, and people who have memory problems,” he said. “I have much more empathy for them, knowing some of what they’re going through.”