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nina: first of all, i would like to congratulate you and joe for winning the Kondrake award. what a major achievement and compliment for all of the wonderful work that you do for all of us in the parkinson's community. then i would like to commend ray for always keeping us current on the who's who and doing what for us. it is my belief also, that the real heroes in our midst are those unsung folks who wake up in pain each morning and make their way thru a day filled with all of the tears, agony and pain that pd throws in their path. i thank God each day for wonderful advocates like you, ray, linda herman, peggy willocks, paula wittekind,dennis greene, our listserv moderators, pan reps and co-ordinators, doctors and researchers, michael j. fox and all of the countless others who do what i consider to be above and beyond the call of duty in helping us to find a cure to this damn disease. you run into a new hero all the time but right now, i would like to tell you about one of my major heroes...Mr. Bob Benjamin. Bob is quiet, gentle and almost shy, and his physical stature doesn't seem to be quite large enough to hold the lion's size love of the music and the thrill of the show nor does it begin to encompass the compassion that he holds for the parkinson's community. and last weekend, he did what he does best: he showcased the finest talent on the eastern shore of the US to raise money and awareness for parkinson's by presenting his 8th Light of Day Concert. the talent and the lineup were incredible and the logistics of getting all the players onstage over the course of two nights was staggering, but these musicians have an overwhelming love and admiration for bob and will do everything they can to help him put on this rock n' roll extravaganza. Bob doesn't even have to ask for performers to step up and do whatever they can. people bring in wonderful food, massage therapy chairs and waterever is needed to make the week-end the huge success that it always is. this was my 3rd trip to New Jersey to see the LOD concert and as always, bob assured that i was treated like a princess. he sits in the VIP lounge like a dyskinetic godfather and as the stars of the show arrive, they pay him homage. he is the manager of a good number of the acts and everyone of them is excited to play for his cause...and each to a person asks to be re-invited back for next year's event. Bob has inspired me to do what little i do by taking fundraising from only the tuxedoed and blue hair elite benefit and giving it back to us, the little people who can use our talents and gifts to help make a difference in our own destiny. we can be part of the equatasion that finds a cure!!! Joan Blessington Snyder 56/17 www.calipso-pd.org "Hang tough....no way through it but to do it." Chris in the Morning Northern Exposure ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn