Miles for Memories 2025
Walkathon & Amy's Place Open House
Saturday, May 17th
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bellis Fair Mall, Bellingham, WA

About the Event
Join us for the return of Miles for Memories, our annual walk-a-thon. This year we're walking indoors at the mall and will be joined by fellow senior service organizations and businesses set up throughout the mall. Amy's Place will be open for tours, too! Whether you're walking with us in person or cheering from afar, you can be part of this exciting day! KAFE 104.1 FM will be broadcasting live on-site.
Form a team and walk together, or take turns walking laps inside the mall. Raise donations from your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors to support the programs and services at Amy's Place.
Listen to an exclusive DSNW interview about the event:
Many thanks to our generous Sponsors
Event Schedule
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8:30 am: Check-in and on-site registration opens
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9:00 am: Mall walk starts & resource fair opens
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9:00 - 11:00 am: Kafé 104.1 broadcasting live from the starting line
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11:00 am - 2:00 pm: Amy's Place Open House
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2:00 pm: Awards ceremony for teams and individuals
Fundraising Rewards
Earn individual swag and rewards through your fundraising efforts:
These limited-edition awards are for individual fundraising efforts, and do not apply to team fundraising totals
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Register for free - Receive a sticker to personalize and wear during the walk in honor of a loved one affected by dementia
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$50 in fundraising = Amy's Place lanyard - first 150
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$100 in fundraising = Dementia Support Northwest Enamel Pin - first 100
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$500 in fundraising = Miles for Memories Bandana - first 75
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$1,000 in fundraising = Miles for Memories custom medal
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How do I register?Walkers may register as individuals, or start a team, or join a team. Online Registration: Go to our Miles for Memories campaign page, select the “register and fundraise” button. Select the number of Walk Registrations you would like, then continue to the next page. Fill in your contact information and answer the questions about donor recognition and e-news subscription. Choose to register as an individual, start a team, or join a team Follow the prompts to fill in the rest of the form, and click on Confirm to finish your registration Check your email inbox for a welcome email, and follow the suggestions to share your fundraising campaign by email, social media, and more! Paper Registration: Download and print out the paper registration form Fill in your contact information and team information, if applicable Ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members to donate to DSNW Use page 2 of the paper registration form to track your donations by check or cash. Be sure to write down their contact information so we can thank them, too! Mail in your form and donations to us by May 10th so we can get your fundraising prizes ready, and update our check-in lists OR Bring your registration form and donations with you to the Walkathon on May 17th. Complete your registration on-site, and we’ll have your fundraising prizes ready for pick up by the end of the walk at 2pm.
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I already registered, how do I get back to my fundraising page?1. Look for an email from Zeffy in your inbox. Follow the link to activate your account, and use Zeffy's tools to customize and share your campaingn. OR 2. Go to the main Miles for Memories fundraising campaign page HERE and scroll down the page to see the Team and Indnvidual fundraiser lists. Click on your team name or personal name to veiw your campaign page.
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Can I sign up in-person instead of online?Yes! You may register on site for our walk. We highly encourage all walkers to either register online or download and fill out the paper registration and donation form ahead of time, to gather donations from your supporters. You can bring them with you to the Walkathon on May 17th and we’ll register you on-site.
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How do I ask people to donate?If you registered online: Check your inbox for your welcome email Follow the links in the email to Activate Your Account, so you can customize your donation page. Follow the ideas and tips in the welcome email to ask for donations. Once you are on your fundraising page, you may copy the campaign address from your browser, or by clicking on the Share button (if showing) at the top of your campaign page and copying the link. You can send your friends directly to the Miles for Memories main campaign at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/miles-for-memories--2025 . From there, they can select the "I want to donate" button, which will show the list of Team and Individual fundraising pages from which they can choose your team or individual page. If you registered by paper: Download and print page 2 of the paper registration form Go door to door to your neighbors, post at work, ask at social gatherings, or reach out to family members. Ask them to sponsor your walk so that no family affected by dementia has to walk their journey alone. Mail in your donation form and donations by May 10th, or bring with you to the walkathon on May 17th.
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How does this event raise money for DSNW?Walkathons have traditionally been held as fundraising events. In the past, participants may have asked friends and neighbors to sponsor them at a set price per lap walked or run. Now with the advent of online fundraising and instant donations by credit card, walkathons raise money through participants collecting donations at any dollar amount from their personal network of friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, etc. We are empowering you, our supporters, to share the mission of Dementia Support Northwest and find new donors to support our work. Donations of all sizes are appreciated - $10, $25, and $50 donations add up quickly when we have hundreds of people sharing our needs within their community networks. We have a strong fee-free payment platform, Zeffy, that supports online fundraising. We also have a downloadable form for those who wish to collect donations by cash and check and track them on our paper form. It’s up to each walker to set a goal, ask their network for donations, and make sure they are received by DSNW by the day of the walk to count toward personal / team fundraising goals. We also raise funds through our Sponsorship and Vendor program, which gives businesses and fellow non-profit organizations a place to showcase their services during the walkathon. Our goal this year is to raise $100,000 combined through individual, team, resource table fees, and sponsorship donations.
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Why do we need to support fundraising for DSNW right now?It may seem strange that we’re spending so much energy to host a major event right when we’re trying to open our new community center. Events are a lot of work, and we have enough to do getting Amy’s Place ready to open. So why are we hosting a major fundraising event at the same time? The answer is, simply, we need funds to operate our center. We were fortunate to receive a grant for respite care innovation, and we raised additional funds to cover the construction costs to build Amy’s Place, our new community center. This is just the beginning of our need. Now we need to ensure we have operating funds while we’re establishing our programs at Amy’s Place. The grant funds only cover a short period of staff wages, supplies, and equipment to start our center. Now we need sustaining funds to cover our monthly rent and utilities, wages, and ongoing operational costs. In order to qualify for future grant opportunities, we need to show that there is a need for our programs, and support from the community that sees and values our work.
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Where do we check in on the day of the walkathon?The check-in and on-site registration table will be set up inside of the mall entrance doors next to Target. If you arrive before the mall between 8 and 10 am, please park in the Target parking lot and enter through those doors. After 10am, all mall doors will be open. Registration and lap-counting will still take place at the main check-in table near Target.
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Where should I park?Walkers: If you arrive before 10am, park in the Target parking lot and enter through the Mall doors next to target. If you arrive after 10am, you may park and enter through any mall door. Vendors / Sponsors: Please park in the employee parking lot located between Kohls and Target. We will have your check-in table set up there, and you can pull up parallel to the curb to unload your table and supplies.
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How long is a lap?Following the inner perimeter of the mall, including all of the wings and food court, one lap is equal to 1 mile.
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How are laps counted?You will receive a lap count card when you check in or register. Laps start at the check-in table. Every time you pass the check-in table, be sure to get your card punched by one of our volunteers. When you are finished walking, please turn in your card at the check-in table or at Amy’s Place.
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How many laps do I have to walk?As many as you would like! Since donations aren’t tied to the number of laps you walk, you are welcome to set your own goal, take breaks to talk to folks at the resource fair tables set up throughout the mall, and finish whenever you’re ready! Please remember to turn in your lap count card when you’re finished. The company that owns the mall, 4th Dimension Properties, has pledged to donate $2 per lap for every lap walked, up to 750 laps, so we want to make sure every lap is counted!
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How do I donate to a team or individual?Donate online through Zeffy. Choose “I want to donate” and follow the prompts to find the individual or campaign you wish to support. You may also mail checks directly to our mailing address: Dementia Support Northwest 2950 Newmarket St #210 Bellingham, WA 98226 Enclose a note to let us know which individual or team you wish to support with your donation.
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When will I receive my fundraising incentive gifts?All incentive gifts may be picked up at Amy’s Place during the hours of the Open House - 10am-2pm on May 17th. If you can’t make it then, you may come back to visit us any time during our operating hours after May 17, Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm.
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When will prize winners be announced?Winners for our special prize categories will be announced at the close of our event at 2pm, or when the winners for each category have been determined. For example, the winner for Most Laps Walked will not be determined until all lap cards are collected and tallied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Sponsors
Title Sponsor

Purple Level Sponsors



Teal Sponsors


Green Sponsors


