The pandemic threw a wrench in fundraising plans for many NGOs in the year 2020; the Kingdor National Parkinson’s Foundation is one of them.
However, with hopes up this year, they are moving forward with a virtual seminar to spread awareness.
Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that affects balance, movement and coordination; it impacts 8 to 10 percent of the population.
President of the foundation, Mavis Darling-Hill says when the pandemic first hit, all plans were out the window despite their team’s months of preparation.
“We had on our books so many different things. Firstly, we were going to have a very exciting walk-run, cycle competition, so that was very, very hard for us.
“Monies that we would have spent for that, we weren’t able to even try to get back” she said.
Darling-Hill says that although it’s been rough from the start of the pandemic up to now, they are moving full steam ahead with their virtual session; geared towards informing and educating the community about Parkinson’s disease.
“This year we are still planning to have a round table discussion with students, so we still plan to have that, we are working on that.
“We feel strongly that once the students understand, because they would have had to do research and they would have had to write their speeches, that their parents would be involved their parents would know some of the things that are necessary regarding Parkinson’s disease” Darling-Hill said.
The foundation is seeking to raise funds through selling 2021 planners at Logos Bookstore in the Harbor Bay shopping plaza, and donations can be made through any Royal Bank of Canada branch.
Darling-Hill says they are also appealing to the corporate sector for additional funding.
“So, it really, really had negatively affected us as it has with so many other organizations world-wide.
“I have friends all over and they are also crying and requesting the public to assist, and we know the public is hard-hit as well but we are asking business places to give us a helping hand as well” she said.
