The Durango Parkinson’s Support Group held its first ever vitality walk and fundraiser on Saturday in coordination with the Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies.
The fundraising target is $29,000, the same amount the Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies spends in Durango annually. By the time the whistle blew signaling the walk has started, the group had already nearly reached its fundraising goal.
Jodi Brown, CEO of Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies, said the group has already raised nearly $25,000.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that manifests through symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and cognitive issues.
Durango Parkinson’s Support Group member Diane Scott previously told The Durango Herald the disorder has a tendency to slow and shrink one’s body movements, and exercise is a crucial way to mitigate symptoms.
The statewide Parkinson’s group holds similar walks across Colorado and in Wyoming, she said. It typically holds five walks in Colorado per year, with Durango marking a sixth walk this year and two more planned, totaling eight walks.
She said the money raised at walks helps people with Parkinson’s across the state live thriving lives and pays for education, exercise support groups and an equipment loan program.
Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies hosts 85 weekly exercise classes and six to seven monthly support groups, two large conferences and has social workers on staff for additional support – all of it free of charge to people with Parkinson’s, their care partners and their families.
Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies staff members are boots on the ground, doing direct work with people with Parkinson’s, while national organizations are leading efforts to fund the search for a cure, she said.
She added the money raised in Durango will be used to support people and families in Durango.
She said the vitality walk has replaced a discontinued Parkinson’s fundraiser that used to be held during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
“I find the mountain towns just have such unique, wonderful people. So we love that,” she said. “We love coming up here and helping support them. They’re ready to go.”
Phyllis Leverich, Western Slope community outreach coordinator for the Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies, said Durango people are determined and eager to show others what they are capable of.
Wendy Wolslenger, a registered nurse who knows several people diagnosed with Parkinson’s, said she joined the walk on Saturday to raise money and awareness for a good cause.
Parkinson’s is hard to live with, she said. One person she knows used to be a very active person, and now they are less so. But they’re doing all they can to keep moving.
“There’s the local boxing club, and boxing has been proven to help people with Parkinson’s, so they’ve joined the boxing club, and we see improvements,” she said.
She was talking about The Good Fight Boxing Club, owned by Katy Kopec, an enthusiastic supporter of the Durango Parkinson’s Support Group.
Kopec, who also walked to support the Parkinson’s community, said the fundraiser will help support the Parkinson’s boxing program, the Durango Parkinson’s Support Group and other local resources.
The support group is full of “awesome” people who are strong advocates for Parkinson’s awareness, she said.
The walk was a short 30-minute stroll from the south end of Memorial Park to the train tracks and back, after which a raffle was held and cake was cut.
Wolslenger said she hopes the walk grows larger every year and brings in more donations, and she hopes someday a cure to Parkinson’s will be found.
cburney@durangoherald.com
