PORTLAND — Hundreds will gather in Deering Oaks Park on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. for Hospice of Southern Maine’s annual Twilight in the Park, a celebration of life during which luminaria will be lit in memory of those who have died and in honor of those who remain.

The annual gathering will bookend a day of support and remembrance as The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s registration starts at 8 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. the same day in Portland’s Payson Park.

“Our two organizations enhance quality of life for patients and families dealing with very difficult challenges,” said Daryl Cady, Hospice of Southern Maine’s new CEO. “I am looking forward to walking to end Alzheimer’s and then remembering those we’ve cared for. It works out beautifully to start the day with action to support improving quality of life and to end with a celebration of those we have lost and wish to honor.”

Starting at 8 a.m. in Payson Park, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is an experience for participants to learn about Alzheimer’s disease and how to get involved, from advocacy opportunities and clinical trial enrollment to support programs and services. Walk participants will also join in a meaningful ceremony to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Participants at Twilight in the Park will light thousands of luminaria, each one inscribed with the name of a lost loved one, in a celebration of life. The event will continue Hospice of Southern Maine’s tradition of launching a sky lantern inscribed with the names of those who have died in their care in the last year.

Luminaria can be registered before Sept. 22 and included in the event program by visiting www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/twilight. Walk-in luminaria will be offered at the event, as well.

For more information and to register for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/walk. Or register in person at the walk on Sept 27.