Community for the Journey -- January 2026 | |
The beginning is always today. — Mary Shelley
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Because of You:
A Heartfelt Thank You for 2025
by Harry Starkey, PANC President
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Your generosity continues to be the heartbeat of the Parkinsons Association of Northern California, and I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for everyone who made donations in 2025, including during our end of year campaign where we netted just over $96,000. Wow! This was by far our most successful effort to date.
Each financial gift made, whether large or small and in honor or memory of loved ones or general donations, carries with it a profound sense of hope for the thousands of individuals and families in our region who are navigating life with Parkinson’s. Your compassionate support fuels our programs, strengthens our community, and reminds us that none of us walk this path alone.
Because of your support, PANC is able to offer vital resources, from support groups, respite grants, educational resources, to community outreach and with dreams of new and augmented programs in the future. These aren’t just services; they are lifelines. As I visit support groups and travel across our territory to visit with constituents, I hear every week from folks in the PANC family whose lives have been changed because donors chose to make an investment in this small but mighty organization. They say they feel seen, supported, and empowered to live full, meaningful lives, despite their PD diagnosis, thanks to PANC.
On behalf of our board of directors, staff, and the countless individuals whose lives you touch, thank you for standing with us. Your generosity is more than a donation—it is a testament to your belief in a better future for those of us affected by PD. I am honored to serve alongside you in this mission, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together into 2026 and beyond.
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PANC Celebrates 30 Years!
In 1996, Clarence Youngren, a person with Parkinson’s, started a support group in his garage in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento. Two years later, the group was given an anonymous $500,000 donation which allowed the group to open a small office and focus on Parkinson's outreach. It was staffed by a different volunteer each day including Larry Alver, who has also served as an early president and currently facilitates two PANC support groups.
With the office open, the organization began hosting annual conferences to provide education and networking opportunities for this community. The conferences were initially held at Sutter Hospital, with 40 to 50 attendees. As these events grew, the venue was moved to the Scottish Rite Temple, which could host 200 to 300. The goal from the very beginning of our conferences was to provide a no-profit service to the community and break-even financially, which remains true to the conferences even now.
At those early conferences, the group met other Parkinson's support groups in the surrounding areas which led to more collaboration and the formation of the regional group and filing with the state for a 501(c)3 non-profit organization status so we could accept donations and expand our services and work.
Initially, named the Sacramento Valley Parkinson’s Disease Association, the name was quickly changed to the Sacramento Valley Parkinson’s Association, as some members objected to “disease” in the name. As more support groups joined from areas across Northern California, the name was changed to the Parkinson Association of Northern California. The mission of the organization at that time was to raise revenue to support Parkinson's research at the Michael J. Fox Foundation. In 2005, MJFF received a donation of $70,000 from us. Fun fact: A PANC auction prize that year included a pair of tickets to the Michael J. Fox gala in New York and included lodging provided by the owner of Tower Records.
In 2000, the organization hired its first executive director who had expertise in hosting events and organizational procedures. At the same time, the Medical Advisory Panel was formed and PANC's quarterly "Journal Club" meetings began soon afterwards which invited representatives from the various health systems to network and collaborate, a unique and extremely beneficial occurrence not found elsewhere in the country. The success of our Journal Club meetings continues to this day and benefits our PD community significantly.
In 2008, the association ran out of funds, and the office was closed. As the financial crisis of that time eased, volunteers got the donations flowing again and with their help, the organization and conference were up and running again with the event subsequently moving to larger venues to accommodate its popularity. Respite grants for family member relief were funded in this timeframe plus a Parkinson's dedication bench was paid for with donations and installed near the Rose Garden at McKinley Park in Sacramento.
2015 saw PANC develop and trademark our popular ParkinsonWise® program which trains exercise professionals how to work with people with PD and understand the unique needs and symptoms of those affected. Just last year, PANC updated the program and created versions specific to care partners and for in-home care and assisted living staff facility members.
PANC was in the position to hire staff again in 2017 and since that time, we have been fortunate to grow its professional management along with the depth and breadth of its very engaged Board of Directors.
The Rural Parkinson's Alliance was formed in 2024 and doing great work in the Central Valley and in 2026, two exciting new fundraisers are happening. We are affiliated with almost 50 support groups and growing every day! Our Board members have exciting plans for the immediate future that will help us serve in ways we could have never imagined back in 1996. PANC has certainly come a long way since Clarence's garage. The future is looking bright, but we also have a LONG way to go. There is no cure on the immediate horizon and diagnoses are increasing exponentially.
Thank you to all who have been along for the ride since the beginning and who are part of the circle now. This is a shared ride: when one of us is lifted, we all rise. Cheers to 30 years together and to our time collectively ahead. All for one, one for all—because when we move together, we go farther than we ever could alone!
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Rest is Essential for PwP's
Rest is not a luxury for people living with Parkinson’s disease—it is an essential part of managing symptoms and preserving quality of life. Parkinson’s affects the brain and body in ways that increase physical and mental fatigue, even during everyday activities. Tremors, stiffness, slowed movement, and the effort required to maintain balance can make simple tasks exhausting. Purposeful rest allows the nervous system to recover, helps muscles relax, and gives the body time to reset, making it easier to function throughout the day.
Adequate rest also plays a critical role in managing non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and cognitive challenges. When rest is limited, these symptoms often intensify, leading to a cycle of fatigue and stress that can worsen overall health. Short, planned rest breaks—rather than pushing through exhaustion—can help reduce “off” periods, improve focus, and support emotional well-being. Listening to the body and responding early to signs of fatigue is a form of self-care, not weakness.
Equally important is reframing rest as an active part of treatment rather than a passive pause. Resting well enables people with Parkinson’s to participate more fully in exercise, social connection, and meaningful activities, all of which are proven to support brain health and mobility. By honoring the need for rest and balancing it with movement and engagement, individuals living with Parkinson’s can conserve energy, reduce symptom flare-ups, and maintain a greater sense of independence and control over their daily lives.
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2026 Schedule of Events
April 11 -- World Parkinson's Day
April 11 & 12 -- Sailing4Parkinsons Regatta in Tiburon
April 25 -- Cancel Out Parkinson's (COP) Walk in Roseville
May 9 -- Support Group Facilitator's workshop in Elk Grove
May 24 to 27, World Parkinson's Congress in Phoenix
September 21-23 -- Take A Shot at Parkinson's in Sacramento
October 25 -- PANC Annual Conference at Cal Expo in Sacramento
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PANC HELP Needed
1) Seeking Board Members -- Are you someone that raises your hand to help? Do you want to give back to the Parkinson's community? Now is your opportunity!
PANC is searching for individuals to help grow the services and reach of our expanding constituency. All are welcome from various career backgrounds including but not limited to financial, senior care, legal, fundraising, media relations, government, etc. PANC is committed to building a board of directors that represents the broad diversity of our NorCal Parkinson's community. Involvement is fun, directors learn a lot, plus they get connected to a group of incredible individuals like no other.
Click here to learn more and for the application which is due March 21. To discuss the opportunity, please email Myron Jantzen here or call him at 916-804-6497. We can't wait to hear from you!
2) Silent Auction Items -- On April 11 & 12, the first-ever Sailing4Parkinsons event is taking place in Tiburon with proceeds benefitting both PANC and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Future enhanced services that benefit many can be contingent on just this one incredible fundraiser, so the more help the better.
If you have access to VRBO's (vacation rentals by owners) who are willing to donate experiences or other cool items of value that could be enjoyed by attendees at the Gala fundraiser, we'd sure appreciate it. Click here for the donation form or contact Jan Whitney here with questions or thoughts.
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Equipment Exchange Products
PANC's Equipment Exchange has the following available:
If you have equipment to share that can help others, the Durable Medical Equipment Exchange is ready to go. Click here to post an item and here to see what's available. We want to see this benefit grow to help our Parkinson's community members through the various phases of their disease care.
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The Parkinson's Disease Epidemic
& Advocating for Solutions
Friday, January 30 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Corinthian Yacht Club, Tiburon, California
No fee to attend but limited seating
Reserve your seat here Event Flyer
Coming from Rochester University in New York, Dr. Ray Dorsey, the co-author of Ending Parkinson's Disease and The Parkinson's Plan, will share the groundbreaking perspective that as the fastest growing neurological disease in the world, Parkinson’s is largely “man-made,” driven not by fate, but by environmental factors we can change. His message is both urgent and hopeful, reminding us that with awareness and action, Parkinson’s is a disease we can prevent and do something about now.
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Caregiving 101
by the Family Caregiver Alliance
Caregivers can be spouses, partners, adult children, parents, other relatives (siblings, aunts, nieces/nephews, in-laws, grandchildren), friends, neighbors. Whatever your relationship with the person you’re caring for, it’s important that you add the title caregiver to the list of things you are. Without identifying yourself as a caregiver, you won’t know to search for resources that can help you navigate this new role.
Caregivers play other roles as well. You may be employed full or part-time. You may be raising children, or be a volunteer, a spouse, have other family commitments. Adding caregiving to that list can easily lead to frustration and exhaustion. You might need to navigate social service systems, call doctors while you’re at work, advocate for the care receiver, and take care of their day-to-day needs, while you try to do all of those same things for yourself and your family.
You are rarely trained to do the broad range of tasks you are asked to do as a caregiver. As a result, you may end up, for example, with back strain because you haven’t had the benefit of training from a physical therapist on how to correctly transfer someone from bed to chair, or wheelchair to car. Or you find yourself battling with your mother who has a cognitive impairment because you have not learned the skills necessary to communicate with her in this way.
First Steps for New Caregivers
It’s easy to become overwhelmed as a new caregiver. Here are some steps that can help:
- Identify yourself as a caregiver
- Get a good diagnosis—from a specialist or geriatrician if necessary—of your loved one’s health condition
- Learn what specific skills you might need to care for someone with this diagnosis (Caring for someone with Frontotemporal dementia, for example, is different from caring for someone with chronic heart disease)
- Talk about finances and healthcare wishes
- Complete legal paperwork, e.g., Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives
- Bring family and friends together to discuss care
- Keep them up to date on the current situation
- Identify resources, both personal and in the community
- Find support for yourself and your loved one
- Remember, you are not alone
Keys to Caring for Yourself
It is one thing to gear up for a short-term crisis. But it takes different skills to provide care over a longer period of time. You’ll be more successful if you learn to take care of yourself, starting immediately. Some things to remember:
- You cannot be perfect
- You have a right to all of your emotions
- Depression is the most common emotion of long-term caregivers
- Set realistic expectations—for yourself and your loved one
- Learn about the disease and what you can expect
- Learn the skills you need to care for the care receiver and which ones you are or are not able to perform
- Learn to say “no” to things you cannot do
- Learn to accept help from others
- Build resilience
- Identify your button-pushers/stressors
- Identify your coping skills
- Remember the big three for successful coping:
- Eat right—good nutrition as opposed to stress-snacking. Limit alcohol and other drugs
- Exercise—it may be hard to find time but it’s the best cure for depression and increases your endorphins (“good” coping hormones)
- Sleep—7-8 hours are hard to get, but essential. Admit when you are experiencing burnout and get help
Most importantly, remember that taking care of yourself is as important as taking care of someone else. Caregiving for someone with Parkinson’s disease is vital because it provides not only essential daily support but also stability, dignity, and emotional connection that greatly enhance the quality of life for both the person living with Parkinson’s and for you. There is no better service to humanity than that of a caregiver. Thank you.
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Research Study Opportunity
Volunteers Wanted for
Motor Control Study
The Joiner Lab at the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis is seeking people with Parkinson's and essential tremor for a motor control experiment led by Dr. Wilsaan Joiner.
Volunteers are asked to sit in front of a computer monitor and make arm movements while holding the handle of a robotic machine. Study compensation is $25 per hour. Experiments are similar to a video game, non-invasive and generally require 1 to 3 sessions, each lasting 1 to 2 hours. For more information, please email Dr. Joiner here or call 530-752-1562.
Ineligibility for this study:
- Blindness or corrected vision worse than 20/30
- Any eye disease or eye/eye muscle surgery
- A history of eye patching for a lazy eye
- Limited range of motion or loss of arm movement due to pain, injury or disease
- Inability to sit up for duration of the study period (1-2 hours)
- Inability to read or write in English
- Implantation of a deep brain stimulator
- History of dementia, stroke, or brain injury
- History of substance use disorder within the last year
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Speak Up About Paraquat
Usage in the U.S!
A recent social post from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin indicates that the federal government is paying attention to paraquat, a Parkinson’s-linked pesticide.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and Parkinson’s advocates including PANC have long called for the national ban of paraquat as the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease has been known for decades. More than 70 countries — including the EU and China — have already banned it, yet it remains in use in the U.S.
The MJFF team needs a tidal wave of voices to speak up about the urgent need to protect people from this harmful chemical. Please help strengthen collective advocacy on this issue and join their Parkinson’s Policy Network. Sign up here.
If you or a loved one has a connection to paraquat or other environmental exposures, sharing your story helps communicate why urgent policy action is needed. Please submit your story using this short form. The MJFF policy team may follow up for additional details and to share upcoming opportunities to elevate your story as part of their advocacy efforts.
Parkinson's advocacy is community-led, and together we can show policymakers the real-world impact of inaction. Your personal participation on this issue is admired and appreciated. Let's make a ban on paraquat happen sooner than later and slow this tidal wave of Parkinson's disease.
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January Free Webinars
Friday, January 16 at 11am
Hopelessness and Hope: Navigating Depression and Demoralization in Parkinson’s with the Davis Phinney Foundation
Why people with PD experience increased depression and feelings of demoralization during the shorter days of the winter, how to manage these feelings, and ways to find and maintain hope while living with PD.
Info and Register Here
Saturday, January 17 at 1pm
Parkinson’s Medication Management: A Practical Guide for Patients and Care Partners with the Parkinson Support Center of Northern Nevada
Info and Register Here
Wednesday, January 21, 10am
Dementia Support Beyond Medications with the Parkinson's Foundation
Learn the many tools and services beyond medication that make one of the hardest parts of living with PD more manageable, like building a strong care team of psychiatrists, speech therapists, and social workers. Discover community resources like memory cafés and support groups. Walk away with practical tips to better understand and manage dementia-related changes.
Info and Register Here
Wednesday, January 21 at 11am
Managing your Parkinson’s Medications and Symptoms with Parkinson's Canada
Strategies for tracking and managing symptoms and medications, including a Parkinson Canada tool for navigating those first weeks when starting a new medication, as well as other self-assessment, goal-setting, and communication tools that will help you form new habits, manage symptoms and side effects, and make the most of your medical appointments.
Info and Register Here
Thursday, January 22 at 11am
Bed Mobility and PD with the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation
Learn strengthening exercises that will help you as a person with Parkinson's, or a care partner, move while in bed, as well as exercises you can do in bed.
Info and Register Here
Tuesday, January 27 at 8am
Freezing of Gait with the World Parkinson Coalition
Research finding that multiple neurotransmitters are involved in freezing, which allows the exploration of novel medication strategies. He will also discuss his use and combination of technologies to predict the onset and abort freezing before it occurs. Eventually adaptive DBS may be able to sense the freezing signal and change stimulation settings to maintain safe walking.
Info and Register Here
Wednesday, January 28 at 9am
A Deeper Look at Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) with Cure Parkinson's
What YOPD is and how it differs from idiopathic (typical) Parkinson’s, as well as the potential genetic links. Also explores research opportunities for people with YOPD.
Info and Register Here
Wednesday, January 28 at 10am
Understanding Cognitive Changes and Parkinson’s: Supporting the Whole Person with the Parkinson Society of British Columbia
Jow Parkinson’s can affect thinking, memory, attention, and processing, provide an overview of the different types of dementia and how they relate to PD, and share supportive strategies for people with PD and caregivers, including tips for maintaining a sense of identity and agency in spite of cognitive changes.
Info and Register Here
Thursday, January 29 at 11am
The Best Diets for PD: Mediterranean, MIND, and Anti-Inflammatory Patterns with No Silver Bullet 4 PD
The hard evidence behind the Mediterranean and MIND diets and explain exactly how these approaches work biologically to protect the brain, the mechanisms of action that make them effective for some and challenging for others. This session will explore why nutrition is no longer just a lifestyle choice—it is a non-negotiable pillar of your care.
Info and Register Here
Thursday, January 29 at 11:30am
Understanding Cognition & Thinking Changes in Parkinson’s with the Parkinson's Foundation
How Parkinson’s impacts cognitive function and what veterans and care partners can do to recognize, manage, and adapt to these changes. They will also discuss when to seek additional support, how the VA addresses cognitive health, and which tools and therapies may help maintain brain function and quality of life.
Info and Register Here
Sacramento Community Brain Health Series
The SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity's new brain health series delivers the latest insights from UC Davis neurology experts on memory, focus, and mental resilience. Discover surprising science behind how your brain changes at their "Brain Health at Every Age" series community lecture series. Attend on Wednesday, January 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. and learn about Movement and Brain Health. Other series topics run from February to June. Reception held before and after. Additional information and tickets for the January event can be purchased here.
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* Contact Jan Whitney here if you are interested in placing a
sponsor article or research opportunity in this publication
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