Parkinson's Institute Hosts Fundraising Walk April 12th to Fight Parkinson's Disease

Sunnyvale, CA, February 25, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center (PICC) located in Sunnyvale, CA, will host their inaugural Less Talk! More Walk! fundraising event to benefit individuals living with Parkinson’s disease on Sunday, April 12, 2015, at Baylands Park located at 999 E. Caribbean Drive, Sunnyvale, CA, 94089. The walk starts at 9:00 am. The rain-or-shine walk route is a two-mile loop on a crushed granite path suitable for strollers, walkers and wheelchairs. A shorter route is available for those not able to complete the entire course (pets are not allowed at Baylands Park unless they are certified service animals).

This fun, free event is open to the public, but all walkers are encouraged to set a minimum fundraising goal of $100. Each walker who achieves the minimum goal will receive an official Less Talk! More Walk! T-shirt.  Signing-up prior to the walk is not required but strongly recommended by calling (408) 542-5649,  or online and clicking on the “Sign Up Today” button.

"We're tremendously enthusiastic about our first fundraising walk in Northern California to benefit those living with Parkinson's disease. Proceeds from this event will directly impact the research and clinical care we provide on a daily basis—our ultimate goal is to not only alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease for those who suffer from it, but to discover potential genetic markers for predisposition...."

Carrolee Barlow, MD, PhD, CEO, Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center

Supported by gold sponsor Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the event festivities include a pre-walk exercise warm-up, post-walk picnic and concert, an interactive tent with exercise and therapy resources as well as a science and research expo, along with a Kids Corner for planned family amusement. Additional activities immediately follow the closing ceremony at 11:30 a.m. All proceeds raised will benefit the PICC and will be invested immediately in world-class, cutting-edge research to alleviate symptoms experienced by all individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.

Almost every Parkinson’s treatment currently on the market has been tested in a clinical trial at the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center; people living with Parkinson’s throughout the world travel to the PICC to pursue their care and participate in this life changing research. Dr. Carrolee Barlow, CEO of the Parkinson’s Institute notes, "We’re tremendously enthusiastic about our first fundraising walk in Northern California to benefit those living with Parkinson’s disease. Proceeds from this event will directly impact the research and clinical care we provide on a daily basis—our ultimate goal is to not only alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease for those who suffer from it, but to discover potential genetic markers for predisposition. Each individual or team participating in this event will contribute significantly toward this endeavor." PICC research focus areas include: biomarker discovery and clinical research; translational research on genetic forms of Parkinson’s; a world class LRRK2 research and drug discovery program (LRRK2 is the most common cause of familial or inherited Parkinson’s disease); stem cell modeling referred to as “Parkinson’s disease in a Petri dish”; and clinical trials and research on the non-motor or non-movement related and early features of Parkinson’s.

About the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center

Two and a half decades ago, Dr. J. William Langston and a dedicated group of Parkinson’s disease experts embarked on a challenge to create a facility to research and provide care for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. The result was the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center, America’s only independent non-profit organization combining world-class care, clinical research, laboratory research, and clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease all under one roof. Appointed in February 2014 as the second CEO in the Institute’s 25-year history, Dr. Carrolee Barlow is the former Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Medical Officer of BrainCells, Inc. in San Diego, CA, and prior to this post served as Director of Molecular Neuroscience and Worldwide Therapeutic Area Head for Stroke and Neurodegeneration at Merck Research Laboratories. She also held a distinguished faculty position in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA. In addition to her duties as the CEO at the PICC, she currently serves as an advisory board member for several biotechnology companies and disease foundations advancing therapies for rare diseases and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Visit ParkinsonsInstitute.org, Facebook.com/PDpartner, and Twitter.com/PDpartner or call direct to (408) 734-2800 or toll free, (800) 655-2273 to learn more.