Parkinson's Disease Foundation Urges Communities to Recognize April as Parkinson's Awareness Month

NEW YORK, April 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) invites communities to recognize April as Parkinson's Awareness Month with help from its 2014 You Can Make a Difference Campaign, available on PDF's website at www.pdf.org/parkinson_awareness.

PDF estimates that as many as one million Americans live with Parkinson's disease.  In a survey conducted by PDF in 2013, the majority of nearly 1,000 respondents who volunteered during Parkinson's Awareness Month shared one common piece of advice on how to raise awareness effectively: start simple.  PDF's 2014 campaign offers free tools and tips from these veteran volunteers on how to make a difference in the fight against Parkinson's disease this April.

"During April, we as a community have the power to make a better tomorrow for people touched by Parkinson's disease and PDF's tools make it easy to do," said Karen Smith of Evansville, IN, a member of PDF's People with Parkinson's Advisory Council.  "I urge members of the Parkinson's disease community to take action, whether it is simply hanging one free poster from PDF or talking to someone about life with Parkinson's disease.  Whatever you choose to do, remember, you can make a difference."

The community is invited to use the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's tools to:

• Share the awareness message: Publicize Parkinson's disease by ordering PDF's free posters and postcards or items for purchase such as the "You Can Make a Difference in the Fight Against Parkinson's" T-Shirt designed by a member of the community.  Share PDF's "April is Parkinson's Awareness Month" social media profile picture (right-click the image above, save it to your computer, and then use it on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn).
• Learn about Parkinson's disease: Order free educational materials for yourself or to feature on an awareness table at your local library, or join PDF's free PD ExpertBriefing, "PD Medications: Managing Side Effects" online or by phone on Tuesday, April 8, at 1:00 PM ET, led by Hubert H. Fernandez, M.D., of the Center for Neurological Restoration at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH.
• Support the cause: Have fun with fundraising by joining PDF Champions, a group of inspiring individuals who are raising funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease with hands-on support from PDF's team.  Double the difference you can make in Parkinson's disease research when you donate to PDF by Wednesday, April 30th.  The Light of Day Foundation will match your gift for up to $100,000.

"At PDF, when we observe Karen and others taking action at the local level during Parkinson's Awareness Month, we see it as an investment in the future," said PDF President Robin Anthony Elliott.  "We know that the sum of these individual actions represents a strategy for bringing us closer to our goal of ending Parkinson's disease."

To order tools from the You Can Make a Difference Campaign, including a free poster, contact PDF at (800) 457-6676 or [email protected].  To access PDF's You Can Make a Difference Campaign online, visit www.pdf.org/parkinson_awareness.

Stay tuned to daily happenings during Parkinson's Awareness Month by following PDF on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.

About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the US.  Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease.

About Parkinson's Disease Foundation
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy.  PDF is working for the nearly one million people in the US who live with Parkinson's disease by funding promising scientific research while supporting people living with Parkinson's through educational programs and services.  Since its founding in 1957, PDF has dedicated over $100 million to fund the work of leading scientists throughout the world and over $42 million to support national education and advocacy programs.

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SOURCE Parkinson's Disease Foundation