Hello Again,
I propose a plan to take immediate action that will affect the course
of Parkinson's research and hasten the time for finding a CURE.
It's not a revolutionary plan - it is simply to reach into OUR pockets
and give money to be used for research. We have been concentrating on
raising money from corporations, businesses, government, and such. And
we should continue to do that!
But right now, tonight, this weekend we can change the course of our
lives -- how about applying a true American barn raising spirit? Let's
all help our neighboring PWP by donating $1.00 per day to be used to
fund PRO-Seed Grants.
I propose that we target Mother's Day, May 9th, as the beginning of
this drive. There are 15 days before the 9th - how many people would
send a check for $15.00 payable to the Parkinson Alliance to be
deposited into a bank account specifically opened to house donations
for PRO-Seed grants. All monies received will be earmarked for funding
pilot study/seed grants. The cash will remain in the account until
enough monies are received to convene a peer review board meeting to
judge the quality of the applications received from researchers. A
call for submission of grant applications will be made through the
normal channels.
This would be the best gift we can give to Mothers who are affected by
Parkinson's disease in some way.
I chose PRO-Seed grants as the tool for this effort because they
provide the means to the objective: finding a CURE for PD. It will
satisfy an I.O.U., the already achieved objective of the hard won
Udall Bill: the mandated $100 million dollars that the NIH is to spend
on focused PD research.
We need to accept two assumptions:
1/ the NIH will fund all grant applications that meet its criteria,
and
2/ there is enough good research and scientists with provable
hypothesis interested in applying for PRO-Seed grants to collect pilot
data and submit first class applications for full blown NIH grants.
I believe that both statements are valid and easily provable.
Let's talk about this group, the Listserv-Cyber Group; using 1000 as
the number of members, and the amount of donation we each pledge as
$1.00/ day will net $365.00 year.
Within one year 1000 people taking part in this effort could fund
12-14 PRO-Seed grants:
$ 365,000 divided by $25 - 30,000 = 12 - 14 PRO-Seed grants
Add to that, the monies that can be collected from placing jars in
stores, and doing some events in your community, etc.
For example, you have read about Joan Snyder's extraordinary event in
Chillicothe, IL. "The Letting Go - A Parkinson's Story" netted
$2105.00 in cash, not counting the in-kind contributions that were
received. Joan of course is blessed with all the right traits and she
is an inspiration to us all.
Our activities, in Princeton, NJ will probably bring in between $6,000
to $8,000 by the end of April. The main component of this fund drive
has been the donation from a restaurant - a percentage of their sales
are given to the Pennies campaign. The business community has also
been very supportive in allowing us to place collection jars on their
counters. We will be having events and are also attending exhibitions
and fairs in NJ to increase our exposure and collect more money.
There are three things to remember:
1/ the fundraising campaign will continue after April
2/ we will get better as we gain experience
3/ WE ARE POWERFUL - WE ARE THE MASTERS OF OUR OWN FATE!
We have been looking to the media, the PD organizations, our
neurologists, the government and sundry other sources to alleviate our
problems, to make us healthy.
I believe our approach must be that we want to be healthy and we are
willing to spearhead the effort and work along side of the
researchers, the organizations, the government and the media. Only by
our pro-active posture will we feel empowered and be a part of the
answer that is bound to be just around the corner.
The Listserv will receive bi-weekly or monthly reports from the PA
showing a summary of activities from each state. The PA website,
www.parkinsonalliance.org will be an up-to-date source of information
about all the activities.
In summary:
A]
1] Each member of this Listserv pledges $1.00/day and will send the
initial check for $15.00 by/around May 9. Then schedule your donations
however it is comfortable.
Net donation (tax deductible) is $365.00/yr.
2]Each member will get as many people as possible to make the same
pledge, but at least one other person:
Net donation is $365.00/yr.
B]
Members who belong to a support group will work to enroll the other
support group members to participate. An average group will have at
least 15 members. Net donation is $365.00/yr/member.
C]
Support groups will raise money, as entities, by employing the usual
and perhaps imaginative methods of fund raising. There are approx.
1000 support groups in the USA; a pledge of $100/month x 12 months
will net $1,200/group.
TOTALS
A/
1]...1,000 Listserv members X $365/yr........365,000
2] 1,000 family/other X $365/yr........365,000
B/ 1,000 groups x 15mbrs x $365/yr...........5,447,500
C/ 1,000 groups x $1,200/grp.................1,200,000
TOTAL.................$ 73,775,000
DO YOU SEE THESE NUMBERS????? Even if we only accomplish a portion --
do you realize that we are strong and a real force to contend with?
Although, I would like to see a lot of fanfare surrounding this
in-house fundraising, the beauty of it is that no one will know
whether you have sent any, some, exactly $15.00 or perhaps $50.00 to
make up for someone who can only send $5.00 per month. It is said: let
your conscience be your guide.
But, please PARTICIPATE - this is our chance to be part of the
solution.
I am in for $30.00 plus 15.00 for someone who cannot.
Now, let's build our structure, one that will shelter every one of us.
The address of the Parkinson Alliance is:
Parkinson Alliance
1250 24th Street, NW - Suite 300
Washington, DC 20037
Phone - (888) 331-4673
With hope and love,
Margaret
Margaret Tuchman
Princeton, NJ
H (609) 921-1696
Fx(609) 921-1613
[log in to unmask]
The Parkinson Alliance
We take responsibility for OUR future!
Now, let us add the 1000 support groups into the arena. Using an
average membership list of 15 x $1.00/day x 365 days =
$5,475.00/group x 1000 groups = $ 5,447,500
as individual donations.
With some planning, creative thinking and networking each support
group could raise $100/month x 12 months x 1000 groups = $1,200,000 as
group donations.
Listserv 1000 x $1.00/day x 365 days = 365,000
SG Mbrs 15 x$1.00/day x 365 days x 1000= 5,447,500
SGroups 1000 x $100.00/mo x 12 mos = 1,200,000 GRAND TOTAL
7,012,500
