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Jeanette, et al.... One thing that's proved to generate a lot of interest and questions about PD for me is the business-type cards I had printed up and pass out all over the place. Each card looks like the following (and "dots" are to help keep the formatting since I typed this directly in email, rather than via word processor) and the line reading "FUND the Cure! FIND the Cure" is italicized on the card for emphases: ............. ............Encino Tri-Valley ............Parkinson's Disease Support Group ............ FUND the Cure! FIND the Cure! . Meeting at Encino Hospital............Barbara Mallut 3rd Sat. of each month........................Coordinator 16237 Ventura Blvd.........................(818)705-3037 Encino, [log in to unmask] This card cost me $19 for 1000 cards, and since they've generated so much interest, plus have brought in new members to the support group, I"m going to have another 1000 cards run up, leaving the part where have MY name BLANK, and add in a "Name-line" for our members to write in THEIR name, and THEY can then pass out the cards too. The paper-broker who made up my cards offered me a small "finder's fee" for each printing-job I referred to him and I suggested that the "finder's fee" should be donated to one of my favorite PD orgs, and he agreed - whereupon I whipped out one of their business cards and smacked it into his hand! (Oh... and that group is the "Parkinson's Resource Organization," (acronym "PRO" (formerly called "COPS" - Children of Parkinsonians). For those of you who've never heard of this wonderful group, run by the dynamic, and PD-knowledgeable Jo Rosen, it's a So. California-based group which not only runs support groups for PWPs, but is absolutely DEDICATED to providing funds for respite care for caregivers of PWPs. If you'd like to find out more about this unique group and the services they provide, they can be reached at: Parkinson's Resource Organization 73-700 El Paseo, Ste. 2 Palm Desert, CA 92260 e-mail: [log in to unmask] (760) 773-5628 FYI.... PD support group leaders, Jo Rosen is an outstanding guest speaker! (And I'm not on "PROs" payroll - this referral is right from my heart, 'cause I strongly believe that caregivers need respite time) Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Leo Fuhr <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 6:11 AM Subject: Re: Question: Parkinson's Awareness Campaign >Everytime a pwp writes a letter to the editor, or asks a clerk in a store, >"Could you fill out this check for me, I have Parkinson's Disease and at >this moment my muscles are rigid/tremoring and I'm not able to write >clearly.", or comments at work or when in social settings, "Did you see >Michael J. Fox, Lynda McKenzie, Jim Finn et al on the television last week >talking about funding for FY2000 to support Parkinson's research, or >speaking about the experimental surgery to allow her/him to regain use of >muscles that had been keeping her/him immobile due to Parkinson's disease?" > the awareness level of someone is being raised. Hopefully, that person >will comment to peers and family and the awareness will continue to grow. > >When I pay for groceries, I don't conceal my Medical Alert card that states >that" I'm not drunk....I have Parkinson's disease", especially if it's a >day/time when I'm having difficulty getting either cash, change or even >getting my fingers to slide the plastic credit card from the plastic sleeve >of my wallet. I want those waiting and watching my struggle to be aware >that it's Parkinson's symptoms that slow me down and I hope that awareness >might expand that person's knowledge about a disease that shows no >favorites and can strike anyone of any age, race or sex in any country of >the world. > >I wear my T-Shirt that asks, "Do you know someone that has Parkinson's?" on >the back to walk the inside track at the community center. When the shirt, >a letter I've written to the editor, or my struggling to pay at the retail >counter causes someone to ask a question or ask how I'm feeling or if I >need help.....I try to respond positively but in a way that teaches the >person asking the question that having Parkinson's isn't fun and those with >the disease are trying to advocate for research funding increases to >hopefully find both a cure and a cause that may allow prevention of >Parkinson's disease in the future. > >Friends, family and members of church and organizations or groups I or my >husband are part of are often asked by me to sign petitions, write or call >congress asking for increased funding for focused Parkinson's research. The >mayor of my community is married to a sorority sister and he signed a >proclaimation for "Parkinson's Awareness Month" in April and he and a group >of my sorority sisters posed for a picture that was run in the local >newspaper. > >Any of these kind of actions are ways of educating others about >Parkinson's disease. My" Pennies for Parkinson's "jar has been passed at >organization meetings, health fairs, support group meetings and labels for >jars have been given to interested persons who periodically give me >collected monies to forward to fund research. I joined Jerry Finch's >WebRing for PWP(people with parkinson's)and have written about my own >experience with Parkinson's and have e-mailed persons who responded to >reading that story. Information and ideas from the PIEN list inspire and >challenge me to do more to spread the story about Parkinson's disease. > >Jeanette Fuhr >49/47/44? ><[log in to unmask]> > >---------- >From: Edie Luther. <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Question: Parkinson's Awareness Campaign >Date: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 7:02 AM > >Getting the word out to the public, not just the pwp's, is exactly why our >support >group had a flea market last year, and we are planning more activities >which >will >bring the public to awareness We had a group of students from a private >school >collect money and about 20 of them come to our walk-a-thon. I feel we are >becoming more and more acknowledged. A principal of a public school >stopped >my husband and said, "I saw you and your wife on tv last night. >Parkinson's >Disease is a nasty disease,." She gave a donation. We also are included >in >medical programs. > >I agree we need more awareness, but we have come a long way in the last >couple >of years to make the public aware of this dreadful disease and the fact >that >this >disease also attacks the young. Edie Luther