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The news of Monday concerning the forces that gather against PD is so AWESOME! Gathering the combined forces of PDF and NPF, and then the NIH, wow. Full article: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2002/niehs-26.htm "NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIEHS Announces $20 Million, Three-Center Effort to Pin-point Environmental Triggers of Parkinson's Disease The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health, today announced five-year grants totaling $20 million for three centers to conduct research on the relationship between exposures to environmental agents and subsequent Parkinson's disease. " Jeff Bayard Help Find the Cure! http://dialforacure.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 7:12 PM Subject: PDF / NPF merger > TWO LEADING PARKINSON DISEASE GROUPS AGREE TO PROCEED WITH MERGER > CREATING WORLD'S LARGEST PARKINSON ORGANIZATION > > New Organization Will Increase The Potential For Finding a Cure and > Improving Lives > > MIAMI -- August 26, 2002 - The Miami-based National Parkinson Foundation > (NPF) and the New York City-based Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) > have agreed to proceed with the merger of the two foundations. The > strategic move by two of the pioneering organizations in Parkinson's > research heralds a new and promising era for people with Parkinson's. > > The new organization, which will be known as The Parkinson Foundation, > Inc. (TPF), will combine resources for scientific research, clinical > services, education, and patient outreach and support. It will be > co-chaired by Nathan Slewett, the chairman of NPF, and Dr. Lewis P. > Rowland, PDF's president. Page Morton Black will serve as honorary > chairman, and Herbert C. Zemel will be the president. > > > > "Through this union, we are creating the largest organization focused on > researching the cause and the cure for Parkinson's," said Dr. Rowland. > "The beneficiaries of this merger are all people with Parkinson disorders > and their families, worldwide. This merger brings together two of the > nation's best Parkinson's research and support organizations to form a > network of information exchange in leading medical institutions such as > the Neurological Institute of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New > York, Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, and the > University of Miami. We hope to hasten the day when this deeply disabling > and destructive condition can be relegated to the history books." > > "The merger will create the leading comprehensive Parkinson organization > in America," said Mr. Slewett. "It ensures that we continue to grow a > national network of research, treatment, and support centers. Our > ultimate objective is to save more lives by educating more people and > reaching out to untapped groups who are in need. We will offer people > with Parkinson's and their families the best treatment and educational > resources and support available, while actively fighting to eradicate a > disease that currently plagues as many as one million Americans and > perhaps 15 million people worldwide. Our combined experience and > resources will go a long way toward achieving these goals." > > The organization will have annual contributions in excess of $20 million, > which will be used for research grants, patient and caregiver services, > education, and public advocacy. Specific programs will include: > > · Research and training grants to support leading research > centers and individual scientists. > > · Clinical services and educational programs. > > · Liaison with the National Institutes of Health to encourage and > coordinate new research initiatives and fund pilot research projects. > > · Advocacy for increased public support of programs designed to > find the cause and cure of Parkinson's and to assist those who live with > Parkinson's. > > · Services designed to improve the quality of life for people > with Parkinson's and their families, including support groups, internet > information services, publications and support literature, clinical > referrals, and educational symposia. > > > Together, over the past five years, the two organizations have awarded a > total of more than $30 million in grants for research in Parkinson's > disease and have spent almost $50 million in support for services, > education, and advocacy. > > > This merger represents more than a linking of the futures of two > organizations; it is a major move toward long-needed unity in the > Parkinson's community as a whole. Indeed, the new organization expects > to forge strong productive alliances and joint ventures with other > Parkinson groups, including the Parkinson's Action Network, the > Parkinson's Alliance, the American Parkinson's Disease Association, and > the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. > > Pending consummation of the merger, NPF and PDF will be collaborating > closely on programs, fundraising, grant procedures, and Board > activities. The merger -- which will require, among other things, IRS > approval of tax-exempt status for the new organization -- is expected to > be consummated early in 2003. The executive staff of the new foundation > will be headed by Robin Anthony Elliott, chief executive officer, based > in New York City, and by Jose Garcia-Pedrosa, chief operating officer, > based in Miami. These positions correspond closely with those that they > currently hold in their respective organizations (PDF and NPF). > > About the Two Organizations > > The National Parkinson Foundation, a world-class institution, was > founded in 1957. NPF sponsors 62 Centers of Excellence throughout the > world, most of them affiliated with leading medical schools, > universities, and research centers. It has dozens of chapters in the > United States and abroad and almost 1,000 support groups throughout the > country. NPF's publications, in two languages, are among the leading > sources of Parkinson-related information for the public, and the NPF > website, www.parkinson.org, includes, in addition to articles and > information that is constantly updated, several interactive columns such > as Ask the Doctor, Pregunte al Doctor, Ask the Dietician, and others. > NPF awards several millions of dollars in research grants and for use in > patient services each year. NPF's international headquarters are in > Miami, Florida. > > Parkinson's Disease Foundation, also founded in 1957, was created by > William Black, a founder of the Chock Full O' Nuts Corporation, to > promote research of the highest caliber at Columbia University and > elsewhere. His widow, Mrs. Page Morton Black, PDF's Chairman, continues > his legacy by agreeing to serve as honorary chairman of the new > organization. Over the years, PDF has provided education and support to > a constituency of people with Parkinson disorders that numbers more than > 100,000. It has provided specialized training in Parkinson's disease and > other movement disorders to young scientists and clinicians from around > the U.S. and around the world, most of whom have gone on to create > programs in movement diso rders at their own institutions and elsewhere. > The organization is based at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in > New York City, and, since a merger with the Chicago-based United > Parkinson Foundation in early 1999, maintains a major presence also at > Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in that city. For more > information on the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, visit www.pdf.org. > > > > > -- > Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD > "Ask the Parkinson Dietitian" http://www.parkinson.org/ > "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" > "Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy" > http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn