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Joan, It was great to hear of your success. I hope that others read and gain confidence that they to can have impact. Its never too late to get started. April 11 might have been Parkinson's day in the rest of the world but you can make it when you want it in your community. In Pittsburgh,we had Parkinson's awareness week in September one year. Last week I was in a meeting with the new director of the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, Dr. Fischbach, he was very supportive of our Seed Grant program as a vehicle for stimulating new and additional Parkinson's research. I spoke with another leading researcher at NIH, who deals with stem cells. His optimism exceeded even mine. He feels that the advances in stem cell research is the key that will unlock yet more of the secrets of the brain and to rapid progress in curing degenerative illnesses like PD. One of the goals of the Parkinson's Alliance is to empower people with Parkinson's. Success empowers people. Joan, you have been empowered. Your success prepares you for your next success and hopefully encourages others to try. Jim Cordy