NEWS RELEASE

Major announcements for Parkinson Society Ottawa at Celebration Event for annual Parkinson SuperWalk

OTTAWA November 8, 2011– Parkinson Society Ottawa was brimming with good news today at a celebration event for the 16th annual Parkinson SuperWalk in Ottawa.  Not only did it announce a record total raised at the September 10th event ($156,135.14), but it also announced it has received a 3-year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) for $103,900, in part to engage volunteer champions in Eastern Ontario

SuperWalk is Parkinson Society Ottawa’s largest annual fundraiser, and at the celebration event to honour its walkers, volunteers and sponsors, it announced an updated total to supporters gathered at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre.

“We are thrilled to have exceeded our goal once again for SuperWalk so that we can provide urgently needed support services in our region.  With the help of volunteer fundraisers like Jacques Gerin and Julie Cafley (who each raised more than $5,000) Parkinson Society Ottawa  is in a better position to support the more than 8,000 people living with Parkinson’s – from Pembroke to Cornwall,” says Dennise Taylor-Gilhen, Parkinson Society Ottawa  Executive Director.

MPP Yasir Naqvi and Frank Dyson from the Ontario Trillium Foundation together presented a plaque to the organization’s Board Chair, Sprague Plato which recognized the OTF grant, which will allow the Society to increase volunteer support, awareness, and fund development including the creation of new SuperWalks in several Eastern Ontario communities.

“This Ontario Trillium Foundation grant will help the Parkinson’s Society deliver important education and awareness programs in our community, making it easier for those suffering from this devastating disease to maintain their health and quality of life” said Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disease. When cells in the brain that normally produce a chemical called “dopamine” die, symptoms of Parkinson’s appear. The most common symptoms are:  tremor (shaking), slowness in movements, muscle stiffness and problems with balance. Other symptoms that may also occur for some people include fatigue, difficulties with speech and writing, sleep disorders, depression and cognitive changes

Parkinson Society Ottawa has been serving the community since 1978, and is a regional partner of Parkinson Society Canada.

A leading grantmaker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. www.trilliumfoundation.org