2nd Annual Maine Run for Parkinson's

Maine Run for Parkinson’s
Sunday, August 28 at 9AM
Start & Finish Line: Kittery Trading Post

 Empty nest syndrome is supposed to be about adjusting to life without the children at home and spending time doing the things sacrificed while spending weekends hauling the kids to soccer games, basketball tournaments, little league games and ski races. The years of playing the role of Mom and Dad the ATM and Taxi driver; replaced with nights filled with friends and music, weekend road trips, the long lost golf games and girls trips to Florida.
 
For Eliot residents and sisters, Deb Duggan and Sue Goodwin, their empty nests have been filled with doctors appointments, surgeries, sleeplessness, dyskinesia, dystonia, depression and anxiety: all compliments of their shared diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.
 
For many people, the mention of Parkinson’s Disease brings to mind celebrities such as Michael J. Fox or Muhammed Ali- who recently lost his 32 year battle with Parkinson’s. Look a little deeper, and you may find that you know someone on a more personal level. 5 million people are living with this
nasty disease, and nearly 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone.
 
The disease is tough not only on those diagnosed with it, but for the friends and family members of those living with it. The friends and family of Deb and Sue have rallied together and found support in the community to fight back against this disease. Last year Deb’s daughter Amber Wason, and longtime friend Brittany Adams, organized a road race in Kittery and raised over $10,000 for medical research to cure Parkinson’s Disease. They both went on run the New York City Marathon as part of Team Fox a division of The Micheal J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research . This year, they will
again be holding a race in Kittery this August and will be joined by Amber’s husband Michael Schroeder, and Sue’s oldest son, Joshua Holt. The goal this year is to raise $20,000, 100% of which will go to medical research to cure Parkinson’s Disease.
 
Deb, who used to sail, and founded and ran Back Channel Canvas says, “We need to find a way to help people have a chance against Parkinson’s. No one should have to deal with what this Disease does to people’s lives and the lives of their families. Thank you to everyone that ran, walked, donated, or came out to last year to support a cure. It was motivating and inspirational for me and
many others to see everyone. I hope to see you this year as well.”
 
The 2nd annual Maine Run for Parkinson’s will take place on Sunday, August 28 at 9AM at the Kittery Trading Post. To register, donate or to get more information at www.runforparkinsons.com