Parkinson’s Foundation Moving Day Walks Fund Local Parkinson’s Programs in Seven Cities for Spring 2018

NEW YORK & MIAMI (February 16, 2018) — The Parkinson’s Foundation is proud to announce that Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s, has funded more than $17 million in mission services to make life better for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Funds raised through spring 2017 walks will support nearly $275,000 in local community grants, furthering Parkinson’s health, wellness and education programs in seven cities.

The Parkinson’s Foundation will fund a total of 18 community grants across Louisville, KY, Milwaukee, WI, Nashville, TN, North Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, CA, Tampa, FL, and Washington, D.C.

“Each year, Moving Day grants support life-enhancing local programs that have a true impact on people with Parkinson’s and caregivers,” said Kayln Henkel, Parkinson’s Foundation vice president of field development. “As Moving Day grows to a record-setting 39 events in 2018 we look forward to making an even bigger difference in the Parkinson’s community.”

2018 community grant offerings will:

• Address unmet needs in the Parkinson’s community: services for underserved populations, support for clinical trial recruitment for under-represented populations and other unmet needs such as financial barriers to care.
• Expand a successful program into a new geography.
• Develop a new program for people with Parkinson’s.

Community grants from funds raised in the spring 2017 walk season fund local services in:

Louisville, KY

• Host educational programs for underserved people with PD and a separate program to educate primary care providers hosted by the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Clinic at University of Louisville.
• Expand Rock Steady Boxing classes to the underserved PD community at TKO Parkinson’s.
• Provide dynamic, creative dance and movement classes and expand class availability at no cost for people with PD at Dance Wise for Parkinson’s.

Milwaukee, WI

• Provide Rock Steady Boxing classes to more participants free of charge at Fast Forward Fitness.

Nashville, TN

• Continue to offer Rock Steady Boxing classes with integrated nutritional program component at Rock Steady Boxing Music City.
• Provide free gym membership to underserved people with PD and evaluate its effectiveness through Tennessee State University study.

North Los Angeles, CA

• Offer a weekly “Dance for Joy” class that provides acting, voice, dance and movement to people with PD at the Lineage Dance Company.
• Expand the boxing wellness program to impact more than 1,000 people at Neuroboxing.

San Francisco/Silicon Valley, CA

• Provide physical therapy rehabilitation through telemedicine to people with Parkinson’s from the University of California, San Francisco.
• Increase opportunities and resources for caregivers in a series of focused educational programs through The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco.
• Help seniors with PD remain living in their homes and communities by providing them and their caregivers with resources, support, respite care and education, provided by the Jewish Family and Children's Services.
• Establish a new Parkinson’s exercise program and extend the reach of currently offered PD exercise programs at the Union City Community and Recreation Services.

Tampa, FL

• Provide “Pedaling for Parkinson’s” cycling classes at the Tampa Metropolitan area YMCA .
• The Tremble Clefs group singing therapy program at Palms of Largo.
• Exercise classes, Parkinson’s support group and caregiver support group hosted by Tampa Bay Parkinson’s Disease Wellness Initiative at the Tampa Bay JCC.

Washington, D.C.

• Bring the first PD-specific exercise program to the Maryland Eastern Shore; Rock Steady Boxing classes will be hosted by The Maryland Association for Parkinson's Support.
• Host Parkinson’s-tailored exercise and promote PD education for people with Parkinson’s and caregivers through Iona Senior Services.
• Teach Alexander Technique, a self-management approach to stress management, to caregivers through the Poise Project.

Funds raised through Moving Day support the Parkinson’s Foundation national mission by: delivering expert care to more than 100,000 people living with Parkinson’s; funding cutting-edge research to advance toward a cure and providing free resources for people living with Parkinson’s and their families.

In seven years, Moving Day has united nearly 115,000 people in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. To learn more about Moving Day please visit MovingDayWalk.org. Moving Day is made possible, in part, through the generous support of national partners Adamas, Lundbeck, Impax, AbbVie, Right at Home, Boston Scientific, Sunovion and Medtronic.