The 26th Annual Parkinson’s Unity Walk Was a Virtual Celebration Raising Over $545,000 for Parkinson’s Disease Research
More than $27 million has been raised by the Unity Walk over the years to fund research for a cure and improve the lives of patients living with Parkinson’s
KINGSTON, N.J. (September 15, 2020) — The Parkinson Alliance is pleased to announce that the 26th Parkinson’s Unity Walk Virtual Celebration held on Saturday, July 11, 2020, raised over $545,000 for vital research to support the development of new therapies and improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s disease. One hundred percent of funds raised will go directly to research funded by four major U.S. Parkinson’s disease organizations.
This year was extraordinary, unlike any other. Every year, our Unity Walk takes place in New York City’s Central Park. This year, however, was very different. Our 26th annual Unity Walk, originally scheduled for April 25th, had to take a pause. COVID-19 might have caused the Unity Walk to take a pause, but we know that Parkinson’s disease does not take a pause. Since our supporters and our community could not come to the Walk, we found a way to bring the Unity Walk to them.
Since the inception of the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in 1994, the mission has been to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease research. “Thanks to our dedicated supporters, we raised over $545,000 for research during these unprecedented times. This year’s event brings us to a combined total of over $27 million in donations since the first Unity Walk, bringing us one step closer to finding a cure,” stated Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance.
All donations to the Parkinson’s Unity Walk are distributed to Parkinson’s disease organizations for the sole purpose of funding research grants. For 2020, the organizations benefiting from the distribution of donations are the American Parkinson Disease Association, Parkinson’s Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and The Parkinson Alliance.
We are especially thankful to our sponsors for their support through the years. This year, over 25 sponsors supported the virtual celebration and contributed to a one-stop-shop of online Parkinson’s disease resources. Participating from home, as in Central Park, participants were encouraged to learn about exercise demonstrations and visit sponsor booths to access a wealth of information on treatments and therapies. Longtime Unity Walk family member Maryum “May May” Ali welcomed participants in a video highlighting current projects funded by Unity Walk donations and inspiration from walkers.
On July 11th, we launched our Unity Walk Celebration webpage where virtual walkers, friends, and family can visit the Unity Walk key areas as they would in Central Park. Walkers can visit the Partner Alley and view resources provided by sponsors and foundations to learn about current medical therapies and support that is available for them.
“We are pleased and excited to share with everyone that this year is truly unique because these valuable resources are not just available for a day. They will live on our website until April 2021 and continue to bring our community together,” shared Carol Walton, President & CEO of The Parkinson Alliance.
Carol Walton added, “Our Virtual Celebration was a collaboration and display of unity in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. Our sponsors, foundations, and supporters created an inspiring video celebration and comprehensive online resource center. While we gather once a year to fight Parkinson’s disease as one community, we missed New York City this year, but we came together in a new way. Although we could not gather 11,000 strong in one place, our walkers continue to raise money and demonstrate the Unity Walk community’s commitment to fighting for a cure. We can’t say thank you enough to our participants for their efforts, donors for giving generously, and sponsors for being the reason that 100% of every donation goes to research.”
Our 2020 Diamond sponsors included Adamas, Amneal, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, and Sunovion. Additional sponsors included Abbott, AbbVie, Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Acorda Therapeutics, Axovant Gene Therapies, Boston Scientific, De Oro Devices, LSVT Global, Medtronic, Neurocrine Biosciences, PMD Alliance, Supernus Pharmaceuticals (owner of former US WorldMeds PD therapies), Vertical Pharmaceuticals LLC, and Voyager Therapeutics.
Information about grants funded by the 2020 Parkinson’s Unity Walk will be posted on the Unity Walk’s website later this year.
Until we find a cure, we must continue walking and finding innovative ways to fund research. To follow updates about the 2021 Parkinson’s Unity Walk, visit unitywalk.org or call 866-789-9255 to learn more.
About The Parkinson Alliance
The mission of The Parkinson Alliance is to raise funds for research to end Parkinson’s disease, support the development of new therapies, and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease through patient-centered research and resources. The Parkinson Alliance stands as an umbrella organization for the Parkinson’s Unity Walk, Team Parkinson, and other fundraising events held around the country. Combined, we have raised over $32 million for research.
Contact
Debbie Ayers
Event Manager
Parkinson’s Unity Walk
(866) 789-9255
info@unitywalk.org
www.unitywalk.org
Source
The Parkinson Alliance