On October 5th, I’ll be running 26.2 miles in the Twin Cities Marathon to honor my Mom and Dad and to raise money for (jointly) the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association. My dad has Parkinson's disease, and my mom has dementia consistent with Alzheimer's disease, but they will be at the finish line!

I would love for you to show your support for important community programs and scientific research (as well as Barb and John, my parents) by donating! The missions of these organizations mean a lot to me and my family. The Alzheimer's Association has been an invaluable resource to our family as we've navigated many difficult turning points, and in early stages of his disease, my dad worked hard to the create the kind of community programs for people with Parkinson's in Bismarck, ND, that the Parkinson's Foundation continues to support.

My goal is to raise $2620 (one hundred dollars for every mile). I will split whatever amount I earn between the two organizations. I'm using GoFundMe so I can do one fundraiser for two organizations, but every dollar I raise will go toward the Alzheimer's Association or the Parkinson's Foundation, both of which work to improve care and advance research to benefit people with degenerative diseases.

If you can't afford to donate, you can do something else! Think of one way that you can work to strengthen a society that funds important scientific research, enhances access to high-quality medical care, and sustains meaningful supports for elders and other vulnerable people in the face of difficult diagnoses and other unexpected life events. Then do it, and tell me about it!

One final note--I may be running a marathon, but this fundraiser is a sprint! We have just one week! I was slow in setting up this site as I wasn't quite confident I could do the race. I'm more of an intrepid Shetland pony than a thoroughbred, and this is the third year in a row I've tried (one year my training was interrupted by an injury, and the next by Covid). But with one week to go, it looks like this is actually happening. So wish me luck! And thanks so much for your support!

Love,

Annie