NO CAPE? NO PROBLEM! Local heroes team up to fight Parkinson's
VANCOUVER, Aug. 6, 2014 /CNW/ - Family, friends and co-workers are teaming up to fight Parkinson's. Their special power - hope! Join our community heroes at the 19th annual Parkinson SuperWalk on Sunday, September 7, 2014, at 10am in Vancouver's Stanley Park (Ceperley Playground). Participants can register by visiting www.parkinson.bc.ca.
SuperWalk is the largest national fundraising event for Parkinson's disease and this September, 110 communities across Canada and 21 communities throughout BC (Burnaby, Campbell River, Chase, Chilliwack, Cranbrook, Elk Valley, Fraser Valley, Invermere, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, Oliver, Parksville, Pitt Meadows, Prince George, Quadra Island, Richmond, Salmon Arm, Surrey, Vancouver and Vernon) will join the fight to find a cure. In communities with no organized walk, supporters can get involved by registering as a virtual walker. In BC, our goal is to raise $425,000 and nationwide, the aim is to raise $3 million.
Teams are at the heart of SuperWalk's success and members of Team TWN Wolf Pack are true heroes of the Parkinson's community. Team Captain, Randy Thomas, was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. At Randy's first SuperWalk last year, more than 50 members of the Tseil-Waututh Nation came out to support him. "Words cannot explain the emotions that I felt during the Walk," says Randy. "I was overjoyed with the love and support – it keeps me going every day."
Randy's children, father, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins and the Chief of the Nation, his mother, will join Team TWN again this year in Vancouver. "I want to support others with this disease by raising awareness," says Randy. "We're one team of many who are walking across Canada, but I know we all have the same hope – to find a cure."
Proceeds from SuperWalk go to Parkinson's research, education and support services provided by Parkinson Society British Columbia (PSBC). Last year, PSBC funded (with our regional partners) over $1.27 million in innovative research through the National Research Program. PSBC also hosted education conferences across the province with expert speakers, managed 52 support groups, produced the documentary, Undefeated. An Intimate Portrait of Parkinson's, developed and distributed 2,500 copies of the booklet, Parkinson's Disease: Understanding and Moving Forward and spoke one-on-one with more than 1,700 individuals seeking information.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's is the second most common degenerative neurological disorder after Alzheimer's. It is estimated that 11,000 British Columbians and more than 100,000 Canadians live with the disease. It is cruel and unforgiving causing tremors, rigidity, postural instability, difficulty talking, walking and swallowing, reduced facial expression, and in some cases, depression and dementia. The debilitating effects of Parkinson's are felt not only by the person with the disease, but their entire family. It knows no bounds and can strike anyone – women and men of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles. There is currently no known cure.
Parkinson Society British Columbia
Established in 1969, Parkinson Society British Columbia is a not-for-profit charitable organization that exists to address the personal and social consequences of Parkinson's disease through education, community outreach, scientific research, advocacy and public awareness.
SOURCE: Parkinson Society British Columbia
Reference or to arrange an interview with Randy Thomas: Laura Darch, Marketing & Communications Manager, T: 604.662.3240, C: 604.771.4721, E: [email protected]
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