Hello friends:
It is my great honor to tell you about the plans for "Links For a Cure-2001: A
golf tournament and family fun day" which will be held in Peoria and Chillicothe
Illinois on Saturday, July 7th. I have assembled a terrific "dream team" of
volunteers and even I am blown completely out of the water by the response of
our local communities. So far, we have raised at least $17,500 in sponsorships
for our cause. The Methodist Medical Center of Illinois has pledged $10,000! The
Parkinson Alliance is our guardian angel-keeping us on the right track and
offering invaluable advice & support. They will get 2/3 of the net profits which
will then be matched dollar for dollar by the Tuchman Foundation & will go
straight to research. The other 1/3 of the net profits will be divided among
local grants and research and the PLWP organization (this is our plan now and it
will be finalized soon). We start signing up golfers soon and plans are pretty
much in place for our event. On Sunday, July 8th, the day after the event, PLWP
will present a symposium with the research scientists and the neurological
departments of the University of Illinois School of Medicine at the campus in
Peoria. We plan this to be a "Meeting of the Minds" and while we hear about the
tremendous work that is being done right here in my hometown-it will also be our
turn to give these terrific doctors feedback and to allow them to get up close
and personal with those of us who deal with PD daily. There will also be an
opportunity to lend a helping hand in the week after the event. One of my
girlfriends became paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair after a sledding
accident and while she is recovering quite well, she will never be able to walk
again. Her house is being remodeled and the People with Parkinson's (many of
whom built a Habitat For Humanity House in N.C. last year), will be working on
her house this year. We are also making plans to work with the city of
Chillicothe on their Christmas in July program. This program helps elderly &
disabled people get help with their home projects: painting, repairing,
gardening and other things that need to be done. If you would like to spend your
vacation in the heart of Illinois and join us-you are certainly welcome. Please
email me and let me know that you are interested and I will make sure that you
get the info on motels, scheduling and I'll sign you up if you would like to
volunteer to work at the welcome table or with the raffle & auction items or
helping to serve food to our VIP's, our volunteers, our entertainers and our
dream team. Please let me know as soon as you can. It would be our pleasure to
have you join us!!
"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time…
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time…
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song
And right me when I'm wrong…"
(with thanks to Paul McCartney)
About 2 weeks ago, my life began to remind me of having a baby-it was all fine
until the hard labor started and then it was too late!! I had changed my mind
about going thru with all of this worry & frustration but like a runaway
train, it was headed on a one way collision course with destiny! My wonderful
dream team and certainly I never thought during those long winter months of
planning that the day would ever come, but suddenly was thrilled to see
the first carload of folks to arrive: Wanda from OK & Pammie from AK.
The following days before the event were filled with trips out to the airport
and reunions and meeting new friends and all of the excitement of last
minute details and errands. Everyone, it seemed had a job to do and then
some!! On Friday, I was out at the airport to pick up Nanny & Toad
Turner-my special guests! What a delight to see & to greet them!! Also on the
same flight was John Lester. Each time I have the opportunity to spend time with
him, I feel that our friendship and mutual admiration just flourishes. He is
indeed a kind & caring man and we are certainly thrilled to have him in our
corner! One more thing about John-imagine my shock as he came off the plane to
see his lovely, long hair shaved!! WOW!!
On Friday evening, it was the calm before the storm, we all gathered at 3
Sisters Park & were delighted by the cool breeze that came pouring thru the open
garage doors. The place was beautifully decorated by lots of the PLWP's and
Dumpster Gang members who had been arriving constantly and by the members of my
Dream Team! The place looked lovely in navy blue and gold with pots of
tulips, so we gathered to enjoy each other's company, to eat dinner and to
welcome my cousin with her hot air balloon-what another treat!! We tried to get
to bed early that night but my other house guests: AJ Campbell and Greg Wasson
were lost
and didn't get in until 12:30. John & I tried to stay up and wait for them but
we
both fell asleep watching an old movie about giant scorpions!!!
The day of the event dawned hot, sunny & with a threat of thunderstorms….but
fortunately they never materialized. When we arrived at the golf course, I was
so gratified to find that course was crowded with golfers-all laughing , eating
and getting registered. I'm going to mention just several of the 80+
participants to show the variety of people who came from near and far to join us
in our cause. Carol Walton, the executive director of the Parkinson Alliance,
Robin Elliot, the executive director of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (who
Played golf with my husband Stan, our daughter Allison and Mike Koontz from the
Dumpster Gang chatroom), my brother Jeff Blessington played with the son of My
dear friend Caz. There was also a team made up of Dave Purdey, (the winner of
the 2000 Sidney Dorros Award) who played with Carl Mcleod (Pwinkle's husband),
Ron Hager (Pattiaz's husband) and M.E. Ross (JJJaner's husband) along with the
usual mix of radio and tv personalities and writers-this was not "Fear &
Loathing in Las Vegas" but a good time was had by all. There were prizes galore!
I would like to thank Gene Petty, Roger McChristian, Bill Woolard, the Peoria
Park District, the staff of Donovan golf course, Steve Tippett and the North
Side Rotary members for all of their tireless effort to pull this off with such
grace and style and all of the golfers who participated and made the day so
memorable!
Then on to Three Sisters Park where things were already starting to heat up-in
more ways than one! There were tons of volunteers out at the park getting
everything ready for the festivities and I cannot tell you how much I
appreciate the gift of so many people's time and talent!! The welcome
table looked lovely with all of the photo albums, copies of the book: Voices
From The Parking Lot for sale , the guest book and the beautifully made unity
ribbons . The volunteer table was manned and all set to go! The portion of the
Art Exhibit was quite powerful and attracted lots of attention…and I
cannot say enough about the tremendous job done by Caz & crew to show off the
auction items to their best advantage and for keeping it running throughout the
day. Over $2,000 was raised by the auction with money still coming in.
The entertainers were exceptional-what more can be said?? Although the rain
never materialized, the heat and the humidity were almost overwhelming!! Yet
still they kept on keeping on like the true professionals they are.
I must also mention the speakers and thank them for coming in spite of the heat:
Congressman Lane Evans took the time to talk to us all and he even held my hand
on Stage to help me quit shaking! Gina Morss, Greg Serangelli, Carol
Walton, Robin Elliott, Brenda Tucker and Nancy "Lynn" Abraham, John
Lester, Mayor Don White, State Representative Dave Leitch, Sheriff Chuck
Schofield and Michael Bryant-all were thought provoking and wonderful. The
sheriff told a story about how I contacted him-on a Saturday afternoon,
interrupting his favorite tv program and I had said: please don't hang up, I'm
not drunk or stupid!!
There was a bocce ball tournament that raised almost $200 and was run by
friends. The entire town rallied behind us in our effort and I cannot begin to
thank everyone who lent a hand or donated of their time, talent or gifts. The
sponsor board is overwhelming and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I
especially want to thank the members of my "Dream Team" for all their work and
effort. Butch Duffy, Don White, Jeannine McAllister, Steve & Tina Tippett, Gene
Petty, Roger McChristian, Lynn Truitt, Holly Angus and my dear husband, Stan. I
love you all.
But the true heroes of this day were the folks with Parkinson's who traveled
from near and far to share, to support and to lend a hand…once again, my thanks
and my love!!
On Sunday, PLWP presented a wonderfully informative symposium, "Patients As
Providers." Eighty-five people with PD came to this forum and were able to
participate in the spirited conversation that followed talks by Dr. Phillip Jobe,
Dr. Rick Weber & Dr. Jai Cumar. This pointed out that more of these kinds of
efforts to bring together patients, clinical neurologists and research
scientists are important and necessary.
And if this were not enough-some of the PWP's stayed long enough to paint and to
lend a helping hand to make a house handicapped accessible for my friend Theresa
who was paralyzed in a sledding accident in February.
As you can see, this has been a wonderful experience for all whom I have been
blessed to have as my guests. I am overwhelmed, exhilarated, humbled and beyond
exhaustion…but, oh what a time we all had!!
