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View Full Version : Pat Bowlen's family joins thousands at Alzheimer's walk in Denver



Denver Native (Carol)
09-19-2015, 04:46 PM
Beth Bowlen Wallace's voice starts to crack as she thinks back to the summer of 2014. Her father, Pat Bowlen, the longtime owner of the Broncos, publicly revealed his struggle with Alzheimer's and announced he would relinquish daily control of the team as he focused on his health.

It was a day Wallace knew was coming, but one she and her family could no longer put off. But the anticipation didn't make the day, July 23, any easier. His life, her life, and all the emotions they had carried with the disease were out in the open.

"I think we all knew it was time for the announcement," she said. "I was very nervous about how his legacy would be perceived."

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_28843106/pat-bowlen-broncos-family-alzheimers-walk

Denver Native (Carol)
09-19-2015, 04:49 PM
On Aug. 29, Shawna Thorington of Marysville, Wash., corralled a group of about 30 Broncos loyalists to the starting line of the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Seattle. In a town decked out in navy blue and green, the Denver Broncos Fans of Seattle arrived in orange, waving a Broncos flag and carrying purple signs (the official color for Alzheimer's awareness) that read "This One's For Pat!"

The swatch of fans more than 1,300 miles from Broncos Country had never met Pat Bowlen. And many, including Thorington, had no personal experience with Alzheimer's. But they loved their Broncos and loved their team's owner and, therefore, were eager to fight for his cause.

"It's amazing how many people have been touched by this disease without even knowing it," Thorington said. "It's a disease that's not talked about as much. You hear about cancer and diabetes and heart disease and things like that. For me, it's devastating."

When Thorington sent out an announcement to the fan club in late July, she was hoping to get just 10 volunteers to raise $1,000. The group of 30 who signed up collected $6,312, the fifth-most of any team at the Seattle walk.

rest - plus pictures
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_28843234/shawna-thorington-alzheimers-fight-pat-bowlen