hi all

my concern over verifying e-mail identities recently
has serendipitously (?) resulted in a rewarding connection
with the Maine Parkinson Society (MEPS) through
Karen Bardo, President, and Harold Jones, Secretary.

annual tulip bulb sales have long been a major fund raiser
for the parkinson organisations in canada, starting with Ottawa,
the nation's capital, in the mid-eighties, and boosted by
Anne Rutherford of Newfoundland and her energy and inspiration
in 1988 (co-incidentally - the year i was diagnosed)

some of the tulip/parkinson history
is outlined on the Newfoundland/Labrador site at:
http://www.geocities.com/nwfndlnd/

in the December, 2000, issue of the
Journal of the Maine Parkinson Society,
Karen Bardo reported:

"28,800 Dr. James Parkinson tulip bulbs were ordered this year, topping
last year's total of 8,400. Parkinson bulbs have been sent to Wisconsin,
Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and
Oklahoma."

the journal article goes on to list the vast array of individuals and
corporations who made the tulip project such a success, such as Lynn
MacGregor, Linda Abbott, Paul McClay, Kathy Puff, Audrey Latella, Tom
Perry, Carl Barker, Peter Price, Nance Braun, and Paul Kavanich, just to
name a very few.

Harold Jones states, in the Maine Parkinson Society's plan for 2001, "MEPS
adopted the tulip as a symbol of Parkinson's disease and hope, as has been
done in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. A tulip lapel pin has been
reproduced and has proven popular as a symbol and fund raiser.

"In 1999, 8,400 Dr. James Tulip bulbs were ordered from Holland and sold by
MEPS in Maine. 'Gardens of Hope' were planted in 10 places with appropriate
signage, promoting tulips as a symbol of PD. In 2000, 26,000 Dr. James
Parkinson tulip bulbs were sold by MEPS. Many more 'Gardens of Hope' were
planted in several communities in Maine.

"Word of mouth provided tulip bulb orders from six other states. Major
companies like Bath Iron Works, Central Maine Power Company, Fleet Bank,
Merrill Merchants Bank, Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Savings Bank, and
Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield allowed tulip bulb sales to their employees.
Significant progress has been made in raising funds and awareness of
Parkinson's disease in Maine."

In a personal note to me over the holidays, Harold Jones says, "We tip our
hat to Canada on the success that we are having in promoting the tulip to
raise awareness of PD.

"Our state capitol buildings are having a mojor reconstruction so our
tulips won't be there until next fall. Maine's busiest traffic circle is
one block from the Capitol complex.

"A bank, with a National Historic Register building and beautifully
landscaped grounds, is on that circle. They planted 1,600 Dr. James
Parkinson tulips around their fence next to the circle.

"During blooming season, we will have a large banner on the fence to raise
awareness of PD through the tulip symbol.

"The above garden is our largest 'Garden of Hope'. We had 10 'Gardens of
Hope' this spring, and we will have about 30 in Maine public places next
spring. We had word of mouth tulip orders from six other states this year,
and Vermont asked for our source of bulbs.

"In marketing, symbols are very important. I hope this can be expanded to
all states and provinces, so that PD will gain the awareness which it
deserves."

the tulip as a symbol for pd means a lot to me personally

ottawa (45km away) is the recipient of massive numbers of dutch tulips each
year, displayed during their annual tulip festival, as thanks from the
dutch royal family for providing shelter during the second world war.

my father served in the canadian army signal corps at that time, and was
treated to amazing hospitality and gratitude in holland at the end of the war

i share harold's hope about the tulip as a pd symbol

janet



?





janet paterson, an akinetic rigid subtype parkie
53 now / 44 dx cd / 43 onset cd / 41 dx pd / 37 onset pd
TEL: 613 256 8340 SMAIL: PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada
EMAIL: [log in to unmask] URL: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/