One week away from Mother’s Day, families got the opportunity to have free family photos taken, calling it “Memories with Mom.”

While photos were free, people were asked to make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Families could do some arts and crafts, face painting and of course take photos.

The chair of this year’s Alzheimer’s Walk in Erie said that capturing moments to remember with loved ones through photography can really help people cope with a diagnosis.

“We’ve had quite a few people come up to us today and say ‘hey my mother, she’s end stage, my aunt, my cousin,’ and you really don’t realize how many people this directly affects until you start talking to people. Then, you find out there’s a cousin, an aunt a grandfather, an uncle, it’s amazing and unfortunate how many people are afflicted by this disease,” said Robert Frank, 2023 Erie Alzheimer’s Walk chair.

Franks said that events like these all lead up to their big event, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s which will be held on September 23 this year.