No matter your age, the phrase “sweet sixteen” tends to bring up a myriad of thoughts and emotions: excitement, fun, food, friends, joy, cars, wonder, cake, and hope. These are just a few of the words one might ponder when thinking about the 2024 Speedy PD Race for Parkinson’s Disease. This year brings us a great new Presenting Sponsor, Little Apple Cars. We are thrilled to have them cruise on the inside lane to help us achieve some new goals.

April is National Parkinson’s Awareness month, and April 11 is Parkinson’s Awareness Day. It is estimated that more than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Ninety-thousand Americans are diagnosed with PD each year; this is up from the previous data of 60,000.

The fourth article in our series highlighting November as National Caregiver Month addresses self-care. When caring for others, it is impossible to do everything, and it can be easy to put self-care last. Even though we have all heard the sayings about putting on our own oxygen mask first and we can’t pour from an empty cup, the reality is there are only so many hours in a day.

For the third article in our series highlighting November as National Caregiver Month, communication is the goal. We all use communication in some form or fashion numerous times a day. This communication might be made with our hands, face, spoken words or sounds, writing and typing, pictures, and/or emojis. We also need to be able to understand and interpret these expressions from others in order to have true communication. What happens, though, when part of this system is challenged by speech, language, hearing, or cognitive difficulties?

Despite a light (and welcome!) rain shower during the recent Speedy Pd Race for Parkinson's Disease, nothing could wash away event organizers' excitement about the record number of registered participants for the 15th annual event, which occurred Saturday, Aug. 26, at Tuttle Creek State Park. Race directors Kimmie Koharchik, Doug Sellers, and Michelle Geering, along with event coordinator Michelle Haub knew that surpassing last year's number of runners and walkers was a real possibility in 2023.

The 15th Annual Speedy Pd Race for Parkinson’s disease, presented by Community First National Bank, begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at Tuttle Creek State Park. The common gift for a 15th anniversary is crystal, which represents the purity and fragile nature of love and relationships. Even after 15 years, our event still requires our love, attention, and nurturing to continue its success to provide funds to support Parkinson's disease (Pd) programming.

Presenting sponsor Central National Bank and Meadowlark Memory Program collaborated again this year with Rockin K’s for a day of amazing food, drink, conversation, and music. Rockin K’s will donate 10% of the day’s sales to support the program. On Friday, June 9, people from the community learned about dementia and how the Meadowlark Memory Program supports those diagnosed and their care partners (including spouses, children, siblings, and friends).

April is a time for growth and change. Those bulbs resting underground all winter are now popping up leaves and flowers of fresh life through the soil. It’s a time where something that we can’t see changing is evolving into something beautiful. This is why it is fitting that April is National Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s may feel like that flower bulb in the winter when they are diagnosed, and they may not understand they can still experience growth, independence, and beauty.

The last weekend in August brought opportunities for the Manhattan community to learn more about Parkinson’s disease, participate in exercise, and obtain a first-hand look at people living life with endurance.   

Typically, when people think about Parkinson’s disease, they think about the tremor (shake), but this is only one part of the disease that affects a person’s life. Shuffling gait, depression, apathy, constipation, and small handwriting are a few more of the symptoms that can disrupt quality of life for the person with Parkinson’s and his or her care partner(s). For 16 years, the Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program has been providing free education, exercise, outreach and engagement for people affected by Pd. How can these services be offered free of charge?