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> > Dear Hilary, > What a wonderful idea! Thanks! I have incorportated yours along with > everyone else's in an article that will go out in our newsletter, which > has a circulation of 1800. Hope we get a good response. > Thanks for all your efforts. > nina > > PENNIES FOR PARKINSON’S > (A personal plea from your editor) > If you’re receiving this newsletter, the chances are that you or someone you > know suffers from Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson Alliance, an > action-oriented group of people directly affected by PD, has conceived a > year-round campaign entitled “Pennies for Parkinson’s,” that allows > everyone--caregivers, friends, family members, co-workers, churches and the > general public--to become involved in helping fund the fight to find a cure. > > If you live with Parkinson’s, as I do, I encourage you to take the initiative > to help yourself and join me in committing some of your time, energy and small > change to this program. In doing so, keep in mind the difference between being > "involved" and being "committed." When you have bacon & eggs for breakfast, the > chicken was involved by supplying the eggs, but the pig was totally committed by > supplying the bacon. You are already "committed” if you are touched by > Parkinson’s, so commit yourself as well to making a difference in the battle to > cure it! You owe it to yourself to work to minimize the effects of Parkinson’s > in the future. Remember that the most important helping hand is the one at the > end of your arm. > > About the program. The Parkinson’s Alliance is a grass roots advocacy and > fundraising arm of the National Parkinson Foundation. All money raised from > “Pennies for Parkinson’s” will go to the Parkinson’s Research Opportunity Seed > Grant Program, or PRO-Seed Program, which was designed to help promising > investigators in the field of Parkinson’s research develop new proposals for > submission to the National Institutes of Health for funding. Typical grants are > usually about $25,000 and the Alliance proposes to fund 100 high-quality grants > for each of the next two years. This, combined with the $2 billion increase in > NIH appropriations, should ensure that we obtain at least the $100 million in > focused Parkinson disease research authorized by the Udall Act. Research > scientists strongly believe that with increased research funding, a > cure is on the horizon. So let’s do our part to help them find it! > > Those pennies count. Imagine…if only 50,000 people from around the country > collected only $50 in change monthly, there would be as much as $30 MILLION a > year dedicated for research. > > How to participate. After you place the enclosed label on a container (piggy > bank, mason jar, etc.) in your home, get your community involved. All you have > to do is tell them your personal Parkinson’s story (or I can give you a script > if you feel you need it). If everyone will make the effort, the pennies will > multiply quickly. Ideas for locations are endless, but here are a few > suggestions… > > 1. Give some to your family, friends and co-workers. Ask them to help by > finding additional locations. > 2. Place a container with businesses you frequent, such as your bank, pharmacy, > hardware store, hairdresser, card shop, library, medical supply dealer, doctor’s > offices, etc. > 3. Put cans in church or synagogue classrooms. > 4. Take cans to health fairs, county fairs or other gatherings. > 5. Get service oriented groups such as Rotary, Lions involved. > 6. Give a yard sale and donate the proceeds. > 7. On those special occasions, suggest someone fill a container in place of a > gift you really didn’t need. > > I can send additional containers (cans) if you need them. It will make > collections easier if you put the cans in locations such as supermarkets, drug > chains and bookstores that have multiple cash registers. If you can’t get out > to deliver the cans, make the arrangements by phone and have someone else take > them. > When the money is collected, count it yourself or take it to a bank, then have a > check written to the Parkinson Alliance. Send me your checks and I will get them > to the Parkinson Alliance. For more information, additional labels and > containers, write, email or call Nina Brown > 9715 Burdine Street > Houston, TX. 77096 > Phone: 713-729-1544 > email: [log in to unmask] > > Don’t anticipate that someone else will do the work. Make the effort. You have > every reason in the world to be motivated! Take charge of your life and control > your own destiny!