PTG Studios “Today’s Family” show to feature
American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc.
-- Funding research, patient support and education --
May 16, 2007, Deerfield Beach, FL – Platinum Television Group is pleased to announce the selection of American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc. for its innovative, educational television series, Today’s Family. The company will be featured in a segment on “Touching Hearts and Changing Lives” as part of a series on Getting America Involved.
“To ease the burden, to find the cure,” is the mission of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), founded in 1961. They do this by getting families and individuals involved and raising awareness about the disease. APDA, the largest grass roots organization serving this community in the U.S., has given more than $60 million to support projects and programs dedicated to the disease, such as research, patient support, and free educational materials. Parkinson’s disease affects more than 1.5 million Americans, and 15 per cent are under the age of 50.
The group understands the variety of needs involved as well. “The whole family gets the disease,” explains Kathryn Whitford, the communications director, in discussing how APDA does not only treat the patient, but also the family involved as well because everyone is affected.
Many volunteer and donation opportunities exist and APDA is eager for help! APDA is encouraging volunteers to contact Congressional representatives and encourage support for funding a five-year plan for Parkinson’s research. APDA also encourages volunteers to assist with special events such as Walk-a-Thons.
Donations can either be made by check or credit card or in the form of gift annuities or a bequest. The charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and a charity, such as APDA, of a specified amount of annual payments, paid in equal quarterly installments, to one or two beneficiaries. A deferred gift annuity allows a person to make a current gift, delay receipt of the payments until some pre-selected future date, and still qualify for an income tax charitable deduction now.
Bequests, regardless of size, are appreciated and everything helps. Headquartered in New York, the organization focuses its energies on research, patient support, education and raising public awareness of the disease. There are 58 chapters with volunteers, and 59 centers that are professionally staffed, offering research and patient support, as well as respite programs for caregivers and other support groups. For more information, see www.apdaparkinson.org.
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