This September, our annual Parkinson SuperWalk was a tremendous success with steadily growing numbers of participants coming out to walk, bike, jog, and wheel to raise much needed funds to support more than 100,000 Canadians with Parkinson’s disease. Thanks to all who participated this year – families, co-workers and friends – to show your dedication and passion for our cause. We hosted three new walks in our region and welcomed many new participants, including virtual walkers at www.parkinsonsonsuperwalk.ca

We are grateful for the support of the many volunteers, sponsors, walkers and donors who make our work possible. Thanks to you, we are able to make a huge difference in the lives of Canadians living with Parkinson’s, whether it’s organizing a conference in Thunder Bay, expanding the number of support groups we can offer in local communities, funding innovative research projects to lead to better treatments and, some day, a cure, or bringing Parkinson’s-related issues, such as the need for caregiver tax relief and government-funded brain research, to the attention of policy makers.

To do an even better job of serving the Parkinson’s community, we are taking major steps, this year, to reach out to those Ontarians with Parkinson’s who have not yet connected with our organization. Building on our strengths – people and resources – we want to encourage them to reach out to us for information and support.

We are also working on creating greater awareness of Parkinson’s disease, especially among younger people, and engaging more effectively with the medical community. Visit www.parkinsoncno.ca for updates.

Our goal is to make Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario, the first choice for Ontarians seeking Parkinson’s disease information, support services and leading-edge research. You can help us in our efforts by spreading the word that we are here for Ontarians online, in person and on the telephone, guiding them along their Parkinson’s journey.

Thank you for standing by us during tough economic times so that we can stand by people with Parkinson’s every single day. Ask anyone with Parkinson’s what keeps them going, they will say, understanding today and hope for the future; what they want most, they will tell you, is a cure.

Together, we can achieve this, with your continued support.