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By & for those affected by Parkinson’s disease

November 2021

From The Board

A Time for Thanks and Giving We are gratified by the many messages telling us how much you appreciate PD Active’s virtual classes, programs and events along with the extended access provided by our YouTube Channel. Instructors, volunteers, Board members and staff have given generously of their time and talent to make this possible. The Annual Appeal, our only fundraiser supporting these activities, begins in November and is an opportunity for you to say “thank you”. Please donate!

Save the Date

January Virtual Speaker Forum The Influence of Environmental and Occupational Toxins on Neurological Diseases Date: Saturday, January 8 Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm PST Speaker: Dr. Beate Ritz, M.D., PhD, M.P.H., Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Medicine Dr. Beate Ritz is the Interim Director for the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA) Center of Excellence in Parkinson’s Disease Research. Her research focuses on the health effects of toxins such as pesticides, ionizing radiation, and air pollution on neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease. (Read more) PD Active depends on donations to bring programs like this to our members free of charge. We remain grateful for your contributions. DONATE HERE

Dr. Beate Ritz REGISTER NOW You should receive a confirmation e-mail after registering. Contact us at info@pdactive.org or (510) 479-6119 if you need assistance.

In-Person at Last! The PD Active Annual Picnic, held Oct. 3 at Live Oak Park, was our first in-person event since the shutdown more than a year ago. Sunny skies, pent up demand for seeing each other and careful planning including attention to COVID safety, made it possible for a group of about 75 to gather, catch up and get energized by being together in person. Many thanks to Board member Todd Morrish and staff Cathy Ball and Jen Roitman for making the event a real success.

Classes & Programs

October Speaker Forum Recording now available The October 16 Speaker Forum, Exercise is Medicine presented by Dr. Nijee Luthra, provided great information and many excellent resources. If you missed the presentation, you can listen to the recording on our YouTube channel here.

Disparity and Equity in our PD Community PD Active is committed to equal access to health care resources for everyone regardless of their race or income. The PD Active leadership has been alarmed with the disparity in the diagnosis and treatment of PD for African Americans and other people of color. To try to address some of these disparities, we decided to start with our own PD community. We applied for and were awarded a grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation to outreach specifically to African Americans and LatinX in the East Bay including Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro to promote more awareness of resources and tools that have been shown to delay the progression of the disease. The PD Disparity Committee is now reaching out inviting you to be a part of this work. You can help by connecting us to people you may know at community health centers and other community-based health programs in our target area.  Additionally, if you have any expertise in this field of work, please let us know so we can tap into your knowledge. For more information, please contact administrator@pdactive.org

Check out the PD Active Monthly Calendar for listings of upcoming live-stream movement classes such as Tai Chi, Pilates, boxing, yoga and voice.   For more information, contact programdirector@pdactive.org.

Community Update

Tim Gordon 1935-2021 Tim was a beloved Tilden Park Ranger who brought joy and imagination to generations of kids during his 35 years at the Park. Diagnosed with PD 20 years ago, he connected with others who were building a community around movement and mutual support for those with Parkinson's. This community became PD Active. Tim attended many classes over the years bringing fun and laughter, and his wife, Donna, became a loyal volunteer and supporter. Please see here for a full story.

Thank you to our Recent Donors

Donors Allan Aks and the Denali Team Lance and Erica Batten Hal Beck Dodge & Cox Matching Grant Gabriel Griego and Monique Buffler Catherine Huston and Jerry Hurtubise Sally Lappen and Nik Warren Kerri and Mark Lubin Karen Miller John Black and Susan Stein-Black Ruth Tavlin Joanna Uribe Judi Ettlinger – in Honor of Kerri Lubin Judy and Dan Phillips – in Honor of Eva Yarmo Daniel Jarmel – in Memory of Lee Shapiro Cathy Quides – in Memory of Tim Gordon Gary Turchin – in Memory of Ann Van Steenberg Gary Turchin – in Memory of Lee Shapiro Gary Turchin – in Memory of Tim Gordon DONATE