Meadowlark Hills race benefits Parkinson’s Fund

Source: Maya Ristic, maya.ristic@meadowlark.org
Photo available. Contact 785-537-4610
News release prepared by: Maya Ristic, 785-537-4610, maya.ristic@meadowlark.org
Wed Sep 2, 10:01 PM

The first annual Speedy PD 5K/10K and Block Walk was held Saturday, Aug. 29, at Meadowlark Hills and helped raised over $11,000 toward the Meadowlark Parkinson Fund. Kansas State University Animal Science and Industry provided the race course through the pasture. Over 200 participants and 100 volunteers attended. There were also over 40 sponsors, including The Hearing Doctors of Kansas, Wichita Parkinson Center and Meadowlark Wellness Partners.

The Meadowlark Parkinson Fund helps support services for the community to improve the quality of life for all those affected by Parkinson’s disease including patients, caregivers, therapists and nurses. With this fund, Meadowlark is able to continue and expand opportunities for education, outreach, scholarships for medical purposes, medical care and a future Parkinson’s resource center for the Kansas region.

Michelle Haub, Speech-Language Pathologist at Meadowlark Hills, was the leader for the race. She said bringing awareness to Parkinson’s disease has been a goal of the Meadowlark Wellness Partners for quite some time, and the race was a good way to promote the cause.

“The Speedy 5K/10K and Block Walk was a success,” Haub said. “It exceeded all of our expectations.”

Runners included various age groups in addition to individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Don Rasmussen, a Meadowlark resident with Parkinson’s, participated in the race and helped gather the most donations at $1,650.

“What an awe inspiring experience it was to see the confidence and triumph of an individual with Parkinson’s conquering such a challenging course and even placing in his (Rasmussen) age group,” Haub said.

The Meadowlark Parkinson Fund is part of The Parkinson’s Program of Manhattan at Meadowlark Hills and emerged as a community leader in 2007. The program provides services to individuals with Parkinson’s disease and caregivers. Community wide education, speech and exercise classes, support groups and collaborative team consultations have been their specialties.