Prince George Pipe Band leads Parkinson’s walk Saturday. Photo 250 News

Prince George, B.C. – More people than at any other time in the history of the local event took part in Saturday’s Parkinson’s SuperWalk at Fort George Park.

Slightly over one hundred people, from Parkinson’s sufferers and their families to friends and total strangers gathered under a bright, sunny sky to raise money to research and fight the chronic and progressive disease of the nervous system.

One of the organizers of the walk, Ron Corbett, says the walk has been held here for about the last ten years, across the country for the past 19 years. And he says the aim is to see participation grow each year. “Within our support group we started an advocacy group where we’re hoping to do some big things and more awareness about Parkinson’s is the goal of that group. So things like the walk and other things that we’re planning hopefully will help us out.”

Corbett says one of the main goals is to start a Parkinson’s clinic in Prince George. “It would be a once a month-type clinic or maybe every couple of months where people with Parkinson’s would be able to come in and see the neurologist and other specialists and get advice, get help and get a better understanding of what they’re dealing with for those that are new to it, and giving a better way of life to those that are dealing with it.”

Asked what is available to people here now Corbett says “there are neurologists in town but of course they’re hard to get in to, as most people know about trying to get in to see any specialist. Many members of our group have travelled to Kamloops to see neurologists. We have a wonderful Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre at UBC in Vancouver, where they’re doing a lot of research and work. I’ve taken my dad there several times to see doctors down there as well. We’re hoping to reduce the travel because, for some of the people, it’s pretty hard to get around. Whether it’s an 8 hour, 10 hour car ride to Vancouver or even a couple hours flight can be a lot of work. So we’re really hoping to eliminate some of that and have people be able to come from outlying communities as well and make it much easier for them.”

Corbett says he figures we’re a couple of years away from seeing something happen on the clinic front. “We’ve sort of got the ball rolling and know what we have to do but we have to get the professionals involved. We need a couple of neurologists onboard, we would need most likely a physical therapist and people to help out with just the day-to-day running of the clinic. We have some things in mind, one of which is tying ourselves in with the GAT unit, which a couple of our members do attend. It’s the Geriatric Assessment Treatment in the hospital.”

“That’s where one of the local neurologists who is onboard with us, Dr. Jacqueline Pettersen, is a big supporter and she’s also started in helping us get this onboard. If we can get another neurologist, well we’ve got to have a place to be able to do this.”

Corbett says his group has been talking with the M.S. Society which has a clinic in the city with a view to possibly tying itself in with them. “Again there are similar sort of symptoms with MS as there is with Parkinson’s, it’s a neurological disorder.”

He says his group is currently in the process of finding out what sort of funding requirements would be connected to a Parkinson’s clinic. “We’re hoping that we’d be able to see some money maybe either from Parkinson’s BC or Parkinson’s Canada, and Northern Health as well. We’ve talked to some people at N.H. and they’ve sort of given us a breakdown of what we need to do, basically put together a business plan on how we’re going to go about this. A lot of the people that are involved with the advocacy group are people with Parkinson’s, so it’s a rather uphill climb to put in the time and get the results we want.

Regarding the walk Corbett says the Parkinson’s support group numbers about 35 people “and we go out with our pledge forms and ask for donations and invite people to come out and walk and raise the money. I think with more people being diagnosed with the disease the word is getting out there that this is a major issue and we need to address it.” He also notes that the more people who sign up for a $25 Parkinson’s membership, the more recognition of the disease and the more funding coming toward fighting it.

All of the money raised through the walk goes to Parkinson’s BC to help fund research and advocacy and programs. Telus had a concession stand set up for the walk and all of the money raised through sales of hot dogs and other items goes to the local group to help out members who need assistance “in any way, shape or form,” says Corbett. “A hospital bed was purchased for my father so, to assist our members any way we can because I’m sure there are other avenues out there but that’s what we’re there for.”

Parkinson’s has touched Ron Corbett in a very profound way and he takes the time to answers this reporter’s questions while repeatedly feeling his emotions rising to the surface. He is extremely appreciative of the assistance given to the battle against the disease by some local companies. “The company I work for, KJM Sales, allows me time to organize and set up the walk but they still pay me and I mean I have the time and I use their office for printing stuff and various things. He also wants to thank Cycle Logic, Gary Toop, a former member who now lives in Kelowna and has Parkinson’s who painted a picture to be raffled,  Gary and Betty Gurnsey and “a wonderful lady who has donated beautiful quilts to us the last four or five years.”