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Dear List Friends, I just had the unique honor of working with a group of dynamic, enthusiastic and committed people known as the Parkinson's Alliance Leadership Committee. You've seen a couple of entries from a few of them earlier this week, but because this amazing group is in existance for the purpose of working for all of us, I need to tell you who they are. Jim Cordy. Does anyone not know The General? Of course not. He has accomplished so very mcuh, with plans to accomplish so much more. Quickly. So we can disband the Alliance early in the new millennium, when we celebrate the cure. Jim is more than just the Pennsylvania delegate...he has led us all. Carol Walton. Most folks know Carol, too. Carol's dad had Parkinson's and she is intent on making sure that she will be among the very last daughters who will have to fight this fight. None who have encountered this woman can doubt that she will win. Carol keeps Northern California informed and active. Margaret Tuchman, a personal heroine. Tall, elegant, stately, wise...a guiding light for us all, Margaret keeps us sane. Margaret's home is in the Garden State, New Jersey. Her magic comes from her home there with occasional beams from Florida, where she also spends her time. Dale Severance, a legal mind that's also incredibly creative! That's a pretty intimidating combination...and we'll use it to intimidate Parkinson's right off the globe, beginning with a New York symposium this spring. I can't share his plans for that effort yet, but they're unique. Charlie Richards, always there with his wealth of knowledge and experience to help us put things in perspective. Charlie hails from Massachusetts and keeps things...from advocacy to education and beyond...moving forward there. Dr. Peter Morabito, inspiration for volunteers in D.C., Maryland and environs, shared his immense fundraising success and offered to assist us all. He may be surprised by how much we'll all need his help, but how nice to know he's there. Terrie Whitling. Yankee Princess, former Southern Belle (actually, never completely former...though she might disagree with the "Belle" part), whose own fundraising efforts will be cloned (soon to be formally announced) around the States. Terrie is another Jerseyite. Mary Yost...who proves that very, very good things yes, do come in small packages. Small, serenity-lending, motivating, peaceful, talented packages, that is. Mary's good sense (and GREAT writing skills!) steady us and guide us on. Mary is our Southern California touchstone. Guru. Friend. Gayle Zoeller...another small package with lots of very big talent and commitment to the cause, Gayle went back to Kentucky with plans to get things moving fast. Upbeat, motivating with clear vision, Gayle is a treasured member of the group. Gerry Haines...with so much experience in speaking to and planning for her support group efforts, with helping others get on board the advocacy and general self-help train, Gerry's efforts in those areas and in caregiving education and assistance in Pennsylvania (Oh, Lord! The General and Gerry both in Pennsylvania? You folks best watch out!) are well known. Jacque Orso has a support group of 500--that's right, 500, up from a beginning of just 16--members. Wow. She keeps her West Coast Florida group members and her PWP dad supplie3d with medical and related information and better still, with hope. Jacque joins Carol in her determination that there won't be many more daughters of folks with the disease. Vernice Roberts of New York. Well, Vernice. Quiet. Unassuming. AND DON'T MESS WITH HER, OKAY!? Vernice is responsible for a whole lot of advocacy on the Hill and never did let the congressmen and women she approached say no when she asked them for their help. Saul Seigel of Ohio has come to the Alliance through a side door, by getting involved with one of the NPF Centers of Excellence and their docs, by realizing how much needs to be done. With his depth of fundraising and p.r. experience, Saul will contribute much. Jim Warsaw, of Southern-Southern California, business maven, marketing genius, the guy who kept us focussed on the fact that there is no time to waste. Jim's skills and contacts and knowledge will bring much of the help we need to banish the common enemy we fight. These were the members of the Parkinson's Alliance Leadership Committee who flew to Miami for a very intensive two-plus days of strategizing their attack. What will they do? They'll raise money for the seed money grants that will pull more money into Parkinson's from the NIH...the money Congress, in response to the passage of the Udall Bill, DIRECTED the NIH to spend on our research. They'll raise the money for new researchers--young researchers and "cross-over" researchers from other areas of technical expertise--to develop their investigations to the point that they can obtain NIH funding when their work is worth it. They'll raise the money to make sure that no research area that has the potential to lead us to the cure will be overlooked. They've chosen to do that working with NPF because, as Carol Walton said, they need a national organization to implement their ideas, to help them make them real. They chose NPF as that organization after long and careful thought and research. And we at NPF are committed to them and very grateful. We salute them and are honored to be a part of the Alliance team. Kim Seidman West Coast Director, NPF