Walk to end Parkinson's set for May 4

April 02, 2024 

HSHS St. Anthony’s Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness invites the community to lace up their sneakers and join them in raising awareness and support for those living with Parkinson’s disease on Saturday, May 4.

Being held at the Richard E. Workman Sports and Wellness Complex, this second annual walk is for everyone in the community of any age to come out and support those with Parkinson’s disease. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon and include the walk alongside kids’ activities such as temporary tattoos, face painting, bubbles and sidewalk chalk, as well as a free luncheon provided by HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.  

There is no registration fee but donations are appreciated, with proceeds supporting local community members who have Parkinson's disease. HSHS St. Anthony's Rehabilitation and Wellness will use donations raised to purchase a new piece of technology specifically to help those with balance issues and help prevent falls for those with Parkinson's disease. Additionally, donations will go towards MyMemoryWorx, led by Kelly Willenborg. MyMemoryWorx helps provide resources and classes for those with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers.

Online registration is now open and strongly encouraged. Click here to register.

Those who register by April 17 will receive a t-shirt on the day of the event, although day-of registration will be available. Each member of your family participating will need to register. On eventbrite.com search “Walk to End Parkinson's” in the Effingham area.

Jessica Mottashed, HSHS St. Anthony’s physical therapist, shared why she and her colleagues wanted to host this event again. She said "Our rehabilitation team has a strong passion for treating those in our community with Parkinson's disease and have pursued special training in this field. The equipment we will purchase with the donations will be of a huge benefit for our patients with balance deficits,” she explained. “I look forward to this event bringing our community together to support those with Parkinson’s disease and their families.”

HSHS St. Anthony’s Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness has a specialized team that treats and supports patients with Parkinson’s disease. Nine members of St. Anthony’s physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy team have completed specialized and individualized training for LSVT BIG and LSVT LOUD treatments that help people with Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions address walking, balance and other activities of daily living (LSVT BIG) and with their speech (LSVT LOUD).

For questions or more information about the Walk to End Parkinson’s event, contact Jessica Mottashed at jessica.mottashed@hshs.org.

Bring your friends, neighbors, family, strollers and dogs to enjoy this fun and encouraging event. 
Walk to end Parkinson's set for May 4
Media Contact

Ashley Gramann

HSHS Illinois Communications Manager