Matt Davis of 95.7 FM The Ridge made a bold claim before last week’s radiothon. He wanted to raise at least $2,000 for the upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Ridge Ferry Park on Saturday morning.

Not only did this year’s radiothon meet that goal, but it broke it by raising $2,565 from donations during the 12-hour radio event on Nov. 2. It also exceeded the $1,625 in donations that came in 2011 for the walk.

“Our approach with the radiothon is to put most of the emphasis on the awareness side and sort of view the money aspect as secondary,” said Davis. “If you take that approach, it is easier not to become discouraged if the money isn’t pouring in. The community really stepped up this year in helping us exceed our goal.”

Davis said this boost comes ahead of the walk on Saturday, scheduled to be on the shoals side of Ridge Ferry starting at 10 a.m. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. So far, Davis said, 246 walkers have already pre-registered on 34 teams.

“We’re really excited about this year’s walk and hope that the community will continue to dig deep to help us reach our goal. As of Monday, we’ve collected close to $21,000,” he said. “A lot of people wait until the day of the walk to turn in money, so we’re closer than it appears. However, with literally only days left, we have a lot of ground to cover to get to our $48,000 goal. Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t stop for a tough economy or any other factors that make fundraising tough, so we have to overcome those things. I feel confident that we will do just that.”

Those interested in participating in the walk or forming a team can contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 706-275-0819 or online at www.alz.org/georgia.