Parkinson's Disease Foundation Asks, How Will You Make A Difference During Parkinson's Awareness Month?

Awareness Campaign Offers Free Tools To Help Communities Make an Impact in April

NEW YORK, April 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is challenging the world to make a difference in the fight against Parkinson's disease during Parkinson's Awareness Month this April.  PDF invites communities to find tools within its Make a Difference Campaign, available on PDF's website at www.pdf.org/parkinson_awareness.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111101/DC97663LOGO)

"In each of my three roles – care partner to my grandmother who lived with Parkinson's disease, a doctor to patients with Parkinson's disease, and now a person living with young onset Parkinson's disease – PDF has offered meaningful ways for me to make a difference," emphasized Maria De Leon, M.D., of Nacogdoches, TX, member of PDF's People with Parkinson's Advisory Council.  "We can only win the fight if you too join us."

PDF's Make a Difference Campaign offers tips and tools including:

• Show the world the impact of Parkinson's disease.  Using PDF's handheld sign, share a photograph of yourself telling the world why or how you make a difference in the fight against Parkinson's disease.
• Get informed by joining PDF's free PD ExpertBriefing, "Medical Therapies: What's in the Parkinson's Pipeline?" online or by phone on Tuesday, April 16, at 1:00 PM ET, led by Kapil D. Sethi, M.D., F.R.C.P., Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, GA.  Health care professionals can apply for continuing education credits via PDF's sponsorship of the American Society on Aging.
• Show support for a loved one by wearing awareness.  Order the "We Make a Difference in the Fight Against Parkinson's" T-shirt designed by Jeffrey Williams of Benton, AR, who lives with young onset Parkinson's disease.
• PAIR Up up for PD research by joining a local event.  Representatives of PDF's Parkinson's Advocates in Research (PAIR) program are hosting events around the US, including in Phoenix, AZ, and Denver, CO, to educate communities about Parkinson's disease research and to thank those who have made a difference by participating in research studies.
• Step up as a student.  Elementary school students and teachers are saving Pennies for Parkinson's and selling Cones for a Cure while college campus teams compete to be top fundraisers in honor of parents and grandparents.  Will you join them?
• Double your difference.  When you donate to PDF in April, the Light of Day Foundation will match your gift for up to $100,000.  Not only that, just a dollar can make a difference when you are shopping at Gristedes supermarkets in New York.  Purchase a paper tulip at checkout for a $1 donation and it will be displayed in the store to raise awareness.

PDF Executive Director Robin Elliott said, "Dr. Maria De Leon is an inspiring example of how everyone can make a difference.  Let's follow her lead and make it happen together!"

To order tools from the Make a Difference Campaign, including a free toolkit and poster, contact PDF at (800) 457-6676 or [email protected].

To access PDF's Make a Difference Campaign online, visit www.pdf.org/parkinson_awareness.

About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the US.  Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease.

About Parkinson's Disease Foundation
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy.  PDF is working for the nearly one million people in the US who live with Parkinson's by funding promising scientific research while supporting people living with Parkinson's through educational programs and services.  Since its founding in 1957, PDF has dedicated over $96 million to fund the work of leading scientists throughout the world and over $40 million to support national education and advocacy programs.

SOURCE Parkinson's Disease Foundation

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