MADISON (WMSN) -- Alzheimer's Disease is the 6th leading cause of death. It's also the only one where scientists have not found a cause.

Fox 47 News found out more about the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's event, raising money for a cure and to help people living with the disease in our area.

We met with one woman walking in memory of her father.

"He was diagnosed when I was 12. He had a condition called Early-onset Alzheimer's, which affects people in their young stages of life," said Ashley Trabert, walking in memory of her father.

Ashley Trabert says what started off as memory issues quickly progressed for her father, Mike.

"It was my senior year in high school that he was actually at an assisted living place," said Trabert.

A disease that affects the whole family.

"It's just hard not to have a second parent there growing up," said Trabert.

About 9 years after he was diagnosed, Ashley's father passed away from the disease.

"Your body shuts down and that's how it works. It eventually shuts everything down, shuts your brain from functioning, from wanting to drink or eat," said Trabert.

She says she's walking now - for a cure. Sunday, September 18th at the Walk to End Alzheimer's event.

The walk starts at Monona Terrace and ends at Olin Park.

"There is no direct link to exactly what causes Alzheimer's obviously we work very hard to find the cause," said Tracy Earll with the Alzheimer's Association.

Nearly 200,000 people are currently living with the disease here in the badger state. Organizers hope to raise about $100,000 from the Walk to End Alzheimer's event where the majority of the money will stay local.

"We have some phenomenal researchers right here in Madison and we're currently finding some of the projects with the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center here in Madison through the Alzheimer's Association," said Earll.

They hope to have more than 1,000 walkers attend the event. For Ashley - she'll be thinking of her dad.

"Just remembrance of him to be there and he's obviously there in spirit with us," said Trabert.

Fox 47 is a proud sponsor of the event. If you'd like to find out how to join - click here.