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-- [ From: Seymour Gross * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] -- Re the positing from Ron Barbar, etc., I think it's safe to say that our perception is influenced by the newspapers, tv stations that come into our homes. My view is that the New York and Philadelphia papers often give coverage to PWP who have died, and that they write about other people who have the potential to be assets to the Parkinson community. Research facilities are actively engaged in fund-raising. Hence, the many mailings we all receive asking for contributions, and the yearly events many organizations sponsor. Contributions for research go hand in hand with potential contributors being made aware that all are susceptible, whether it be to heart disease, cancer, or PD. There are those who give of their time only, and those who give commitment, money, and make things happen while also involving their friends and associates . When these people become involved there is media coverage and more funds for research. And there is visibility. During the past year I sent newspaper articles indicating potential for contributions and involvement in Parkinson's to NPF, APDA, and PDF. These were opportunities for greater Parkinson's visibility. I received responses from none of the organizations. Some of the articles involved: the death of Harry Helmsley, of NY, the real estate magnate, whose wife Leona contributed a large sum to the midwest facility where her husband, who was said to have had Parkinson's , had been cared for; at the beginning of the year Brooke Astor announced that she was going to donate the balance of her husband's estate, $24,000,000, in 1997 to worthy causes; Elaine Dannheisser, whose husband "died in 1992 after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease" contributed several valuable paintings to the Guggenheim Museum , and a collection valued at $10,000,000 to the Museum of Modern Art in NY. In this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer there is an obit for John H . Strewart, a retired bank executive who "died of complications from Parkinson's disease." The family asks that memorial contributions be sent to his support group and to two other named causes. Opportunities for greater visibility are all around us. Not knowing people who know the people mentioned personally, it's appropriate for professionals to make the contact. I wonder to what extent this is being done. Dolores Gross [log in to unmask]