Largest grassroots fundraiser in the U.S. for Parkinson's disease research

NEW YORK, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thousands of participants came out to the 17th Parkinson's Unity Walk on Saturday, April 16, in New York City's Central Park to help raise funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease (PD) research, exuding commitment, support and high energy, in spite of an unseasonably cold spring day. This year's Unity Walk included teams from around the globe and comprised the largest grassroots initiative in the U.S. for Parkinson's disease research. To date, the 2011 Unity Walk has raised more than $1.3 million, and donations for this year's Walk will be accepted through June 1, 2011.

At this year's Unity Walk, Find a Cure Boulevard was renamed as Margot Zobel Way in honor of the Unity Walk's founder, who passed away last year. Ms. Zobel, who had Parkinson's disease, single-handedly rallied 200 supporters to create the Parkinson's Unity Walk in 1994. Last year, over 10,000 participants raised $1.5 million for Parkinson's research.

Since the beginning of the Unity Walk, 100 percent of all funds raised have been designated for research and are distributed among the seven major U.S. Parkinson's disease foundations: American Parkinson Disease Association, National Parkinson Foundation, The Parkinson Alliance, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, The Parkinson's Institute, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and Parkinson's Action Network.

The Unity Walk is made possible through the support of its many sponsors, including this year's premier sponsor, Abbott, the global health care company. For the third year, Abbott featured its Messages of Hope™ Wall, collecting hundreds of photos and inspirational messages from Unity Walk participants, and donated an additional $15,000 for research. Other Unity Walk sponsors included Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva, Ceregene, Davis Phinney Foundation, LSVT Global, Medtronic and Novartis.

Additionally, a number of leading advocates and representatives from the Parkinson's community spoke at the Unity Walk, including Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, 14th CD; Michael Jones, Divisional VP & General Manager, Pharmaceutical Products at Abbott; writer and comedian May May Ali; and Martin Tuchman, Chairman of the Parkinson's Unity Walk.

For photos, video highlights and information about how you can donate to this year's Walk and participate in the future, visit www.unitywalk.org.

Parkinson's disease is a gradual neurodegenerative disease that affects more than one million Americans.

About The Parkinson Alliance

The Parkinson Alliance is the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk. The Kingston, NJ-based national non-profit organization is dedicated to raising funds to help finance the most promising research to find the cause and cure for Parkinson's disease. Through the generous operational support of The Tuchman Foundation and our numerous partnerships, 100 percent of all individual donations to The Parkinson Alliance and all net proceeds from events go directly to fund research.

For more information, visit www.ParkinsonAlliance.org and www.UnityWalk.org

SOURCE Parkinson's Unity Walk