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To PIEN members, friends and family, If you are in the Los Angeles area this weekend, you are invited to join Team Parkinson! FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 10am-8pm and SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 8:30am-6pm Team Parkinson booth #1032 (NOT #773, an error in the Expo directory) at the Quality of Life Expo, Kentia Hall, LA Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa; www.lamarathon.com SATURDAY, MARCH 3 Parkies on the Town pre-Marathon pep rally dinner in support of Team Parkinson 7:00 IHOP (International House of Pancakes) on Devonshire and Variel in Chatsworth; contact Barbara Mallut at 818/348-0779 SATURDAY, MARCH 3 Team Parkinson's Carbo-Load Dinner, 5:30pm; for information, call 877-735-2864 SUNDAY, MARCH 4 LA Marathon, Team Parkinson's cheering site -- music & refreshments all day (9am to 2pm, maybe longer) 1200 Wilshire, nearest cross street is Witmer, across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital; for information call 877-735-2864 CONTACT INFORMATION: toll free number 877/735-2864 [log in to unmask] www.parkinsonalliance.net PARKING AND DIRECTIONS: www.lamarathon.com Please Note: the area within the race course is blocked off for several hours, so you have to drive around the course if you're trying to go to the other side. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: >What is the purpose of the Quality of Life Expo? The practical purpose is for all the athletes to sign in and to receive their "chips" for their shoelaces, their numbers to wear, etc. Over time it has mushroomed into a giant commercial fair with booths showcasing everything from sportscars to socks, most of the stuff having some connection to fitness or running. A lot of "freebies" are handed out. For example, the booth next to Team Parkinson's is run by a genial Pakistani person selling dried fruits and nuts (yes, in California - "land of the fruits and nuts"). Across from us is a booth for the Association of International Marathons with some tempting brochures for runs in Greece, etc. Other charities have booths scattered among the more commercial ones. Over 80,000 people come through every year, so it's a chance to raise awareness. All the shifts for our booth are covered, and there's not really much to do except chat and offer literature. But it's an interesting scene if you feel OK about being in a crowd. Parking is $7 but the admission is free. It's in Kentia Hall at the Convention Center. PLEASE NOTE: Our booth number is #1032 (not 773). >What is the Carbo Load Dinner? -- a simple supper, no booze unless you buy it yourself, some certificates being handed out, and some laughs. Dr.Mark Jakowec from USC will tell us briefly about the research we helped to fund last year. If you haven't made reservations already, call 1-877-735-2864 to see if space is available. >What is the 5K? The Los Angeles Times 5k is part of the LA Marathon, starting at 9:30 after all the runners/walkers have gone by. 5K athletes can register on Sunday, the day of the race. They should plan to arrive at the Staples Center very early if they haven't pre-registered at the Expo. Team Parkinson members who want to walk together are going to stay at the back of the pack as a way to find each other, plus we'll have a sign. We'll have t-shirts for people who didn't get one at the Expo. For directions and parking, the best thing to do is to take a look at the LA Marathon website if you have access to it: www.lamarathon.com >What happens at our site on Sunday on the race course? It's a party -- members of the Parkinson's community cheering each other on. It's right by La Parrilla, a delightful Mexican restaurant which is in a rambling lovely building that was once Charlie Chaplin's home. A Latino band has volunteered to play for us for most of the day. Parkinson's literature will be available for any other marathon spectators who wander by. >What are YOU doing on race day? I'll join my brother, my nephew and friends for the 5K. Then after perhaps a celebratory toast at our race site, I'll join my son Colin on the subway, popping out along the route here and there in time to cheer on Moana, my daughter-in-law, who is running her first marathon. She's running for us: for Team Parkinson! >Why is there a "Team Parkinson" doing this? To fund the research and find a cure. If you can't join us, but want to contribute, make checks out to Team Parkinson and send them to Edna Ball, Chair 2001, Team Parkinson, 6412 Broadway Ave., Whittier, CA 90606. Every dollar goes towards research and the Tuchman Foundation generously supplies matching funds. Team Parkinson is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Other reasons for doing this are mainly to have a good time, and to feel the thrill of all the Parkinson's "orgs" working together. We have a lot of support for us out there, more than we sometimes realize. Person after person came by the booth to say they knew someone close to them who has Parkinson's, and asking what they could do to be of help. FYI: The LA Times had a good interview with John Ball, marathon athlete and person with Parkinson's, in their special LA Marathon section on Monday, February 26. Mary Yost, 53, diagnosed 1990 a recovering couch potato, or as John Ball diplomatically worded it in the interview, "not from a fitness background". P.S.: if you receive the text of this message twice, could someone please tell me how I could fix that?