Today is the last day to submit an application for a scholarship to the 2013 PAN Forum (February 25-27). For those of you who haven't heard of the Forum or PAN you can find a complete description and a scholarship application at the website:
www.parkinsonsaction.org. Basically, PAN represents the concerns of the PD community in Washington, DC. It has the backing of all the major national PD organizations. It relies heavily on its grassroots network of patients and those who care about PD issues to lobby for research funds, and propose and promote legislation, standards, and policy. The Forum has been the vehicle to educate and train the grassroots to be effective in communicating PAN's issues to our congresspersons and educating our local communities.
From the website:
The PAN Forum is a three-day conference held in Washington, D.C., bringing together Parkinson’s advocates from across the nation. Attendees gather to learn the latest in public policy and research in Parkinson’s disease. Working together, Forum attendees increase awareness of Parkinson’s and learn to advocate for better treatments and a cure.
You can be part of finding better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
You can learn more about new research and how federal funding of biomedical research generates private-sector investment, supports local economies, and gets us closer to a cure.
You can witness the power of advocacy while educating your Senators and Representative about how Parkinson’s disease affects you, your family, and your community.
While PAN is looking to increase grassroots involvement in every state, and DC, PAN is particularly interested in getting advocates from the following states:
Arkansas
Hawaii
Kansas
Maine
North Dakota
Rhode Island
Utah
West Virginia
An added plus to attending the Forum is an important opportunity to meet fellow people with PD, many of whom post on Neurotalk. Many old-timers here first met at the Forum. In fact, that is where many of us met our dear recently departed Paula.
PAN gives you the opportunity to make a hands-on, boots on the ground difference.