Parkinson Society Maritime Region (PSMR) named well respected Saint John lawyer Gary Lawson Honorary Chair of the 2011 Saint John Parkinson SuperWalk.
"Gary has been a good friend of the Saint John PSMR Chapter for years," said Bill Gale, the retired RBC bank executive and Order of New Brunswick recipient who lives with Parkinson's. "He's a super person, very outgoing. He'll do the job."
Gale and Lawson formed a strong bond during their years as co-chairs of the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative (BCAPI), a group of 100 business leaders and professionals in Saint John who work in partnership with the Saint John community to substantially reduce poverty. The connection they share through Parkinson's has only deepened that bond.
“My mother-in-law also has Parkinson's," Lawson said. "Her and Bill's ability to deal with Parkinson's is, in part, because of the work and services made available through the Parkinson Society Maritime Region.
The services provided by PSMR, the only voice of 8,400 Maritimers living with PD, include the Maritime Parkinson Physiotherapy Clinic and a wide variety of information and education programs.
"It is very important that, through such things as the SuperWalk, money be raised to support the initiatives of the Parkinson’s Society and all of its good work. To the extent I might make a small difference in the money raised in Saint John through the SuperWalk, I am happy to help and honoured to serve as Honorary Chair of the event.”
The 2011 Vogue Optical Parkinson SuperWalk, part of the biggest annual fundraising event for Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Canada, returns to Market Square September 11. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the walk starts at 2 p.m.
“Gary is playing an important part in building awareness and raising badly needed funds in support of the work that PSMR does in Saint John and across the Maritimes,” said Mary Hatcher, Executive Director of PSMR. “The help and support of the Saint John community is important to us and makes a real difference in the lives of those living with Parkinson’s and their families.”
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects over 100,000 Canadians, 8,400 of them in the Maritimes. Its most common symptoms are tremor, slowness, balance problems and muscle rigidity. While the average age of onset is between 50 and 60 years of age, it is not unusual to meet people who are in their early 30s, still working, raising families and dealing with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
For more information, to register, or to donate online visit www.parkinsonsuperwalk.ca. For more information on PSMR, call 1-800-663-2468 or visit parkinsonmaritimes.ca.
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Contact: Mary Hatcher
Executive Director
Parkinson Society Maritime Region
902-422-3656 or 1-800-663-2468
mhatcher@parkinsonmaritimes.ca
Bill Gale
President, Saint John Chapter of Parkinson Society Maritime Region
506-672-1010
galewill@nb.sympatico.ca
