The Parkinson’s Foundation will host its annual Moving Day Buffalo walk for the first time on Daemen University’s campus this Saturday, Sept. 17, with help from students and faculty of the Physical Therapy Department.
The event is part of Parkinson’s Moving Day, a national effort to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease and funds for treatment and management of the condition. Nationally, Moving Day has raised over $35 million and involved more than 161,00 participants.
Activities start at 9 a.m., followed by a short ceremony. The walk will begin between 10 and 10:30 a.m., with ending remarks around 11:45 a.m. Anyone can register and join a team here or simply donate to help participants reach Buffalo Moving Day the fundraising goal of $95,000.
While the initial goal was $75,000, organizers raised it by $20,000 after a strong period of pledges over the summer. The event is 77 percent toward the overall goal, as of Sept. 13.
Leading up to the event, participants can access promotional resources to help reach their fundraising goals. Those who raise $100 and more will receive Moving Day gear sporting the event’s logo.
Daemen ideal space for walk
The Parkinson’s Foundation’s Western New York branch reached out to Lisa Inglis, assistant professor in Daemen’s Physical Therapy Department, to request the university’s campus as the venue for this year’s event.
“We have a beautiful campus and it isn’t very busy or high-traffic on the weekends. It’s a safe space for the walk to be held,” said Inglis, whose research specializes in Parkinson’s disease.
She added, “It’s important that individuals see the campus and know where we are because they have options to work with our physical therapy students here in various ways. Having this interaction can help them feel comfortable coming to a lab or research facility at Daemen.”
Greg Ford
Treating Parkinson’s patients with physical therapy
Treating patients with Parkinson’s disease is an up-and-coming area in the field of physical therapy, Inglis explained.
“We have been expanding our curriculum and learning opportunities in this area for our students,” she said.
Physical therapists can work closely with and positively impact the lives of individuals with Parkinson’s disease, said Greg Ford, professor and Physical Therapy Department chair and program director.
“The whole goal of physical therapy is to promote enhanced function,” he said.
Ford explained that having faculty and students involved with the event will help highlight how physical therapists work with individuals with the neurological disorder to benefit them and their overall quality of life.
Inglis echoed this, stating, “This opportunity for our physical therapy students to volunteer and interact with individuals with Parkinson’s disease will provide further learning for professional development and expand the knowledge base they will move forward with as future clinicians.”
For more information on Parkinson’s disease, visit www.parkinson.org.