How You Made A Difference During Parkinson’s Awareness Month 2012
During April, the community marked Parkinson’s Awareness Month. You and many others “made a difference” in the fight against Parkinson’s and inspired us with your stories. Here are just a few:
You Spread the Word
In order of appearance:
- Becky Pruitt Jarnagin of Elizabethton, TN, tied PDF ribbons on trees around her community for the entire month of April.
- Linda Habenstreit displayed the Parkinson's Quilt at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, MD.
- Don and Angie Hott and family, of Berkeley Springs, WV, organized “Wearing Gray” day to raise awareness.
- Diane Malstrom (with husband John) of Twaine Hart, CA, designed the official Parkinson’s Awareness Month T-shirt.
You Educated Yourself and Others
In order of appearance:
- PDF Research Advocate Iris Simonis visited a Senior Health Fair in Deer Park, TX, to bring the latest information to others.
- Maria De Leon, member of PDF's People with Parkinson's Advisory Council, set up a library display in Nacogdoches, TX.
- PDF Research Advocate Bob Hankin spoke with guests at the PAIR Up for Parkinson’s Research Forum in New York City.
- PDF Research Advocate Greg Hardoby received a proclamation making Parkinson’s Awareness Month official in Union County, NJ.
You Supported the Cure
In order of appearance:
- PDF Champions Ambassador and WNBA Star Ivory Latta organized a Celebrity Bowl-a-thon, in honor of her father, in Atlanta, GA.
- PDF Champion Brian DeFord and family of Cleveland, OH, celebrated Brian’s “Hike-a-thon for PD” in California’s Death Valley.
- Gristedes Supermarkets participated in "Tulips Bloom for Parkinson's” where customers donated $1 at checkout for a paper tulip.
- The PDF Pacers, led by PPAC member Tom Palizzi raised $15,000 for the Parkinson’s Unity Walk, (for organizations including PDF).
And lastly ... We Did It! Together we raised $100,000 through the Irving G. Brilliant Research Challenge. Mr. Brilliant matched it all, ensuring a total of $200,000 to support Parkinson’s research projects, including PDF’s Côté Clinical Genetics Initiative.
How did you make a difference? Tell us at www.pdf.org/awareness12.
