We’ve sponsored hundreds of fundraising teams through our PatientsLikeMeInMotion program, but we’re pretty sure this team wins the blue ribbon for most festive.

Please meet PatientsLikeMe member Kennqueen’s very colorful team, who donned their best tutus and striped socks for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis in Richland, Washington, on November 17, 2012.  Kennqueen has been living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for more than a decade, and her supportive family and friends came out to raise spirits and jingle in her honor while raising money for the Arthritis Foundation.

This particular Jingle Bell Run/Walk in Richland, Washington, part of the Tri-Cities area, raised more than $20,000 for arthritis research, while all Jingle Bell events across the country have raised more than seven million dollars to date!  How’s that for some holiday cheer?

Inspired to get into the fundraising spirit in 2013?  Learn how the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program can help with t-shirts and a monetary donation for your team.

Until then, Happy Holidays from PatientsLikeMe!

“There is still no cure, but at least now, thanks to these fundraising events, there are advancements in patient care, and there is hope.”
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Judy

It may be winter now, but plans for next year’s disease-related fundraising events are underway.  The question is:  will you be taking part?

For inspiration, see Judy and Jim below in their bright blue PatientsLikeMeMe t-shirts before the start of Walk MS in Cranford, NJ, on April 15, 2012.  “When I was first diagnosed over 20 years ago, there were no therapies for MS patients and knowledge was limited,” says Judy.  “We’re grateful to PatientsLikeMe for their continued support for events that raise awareness and funds for MS research.”  She adds that the Cranford Walk MS event had “a large and enthusiastic turnout.”

Congrats to Judy and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts. For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr collection. Thinking about organizing a team for next spring? Learn how the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program can help with t-shirts and a monetary donation.

Earlier this month, we shared a video interview with PatientsLikeMe member Wayne Sticha, who founded the Ride for Dads in 2010 to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Since September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to close out the month by sharing one of Wayne’s photos from 2012 Ride for Dads, which involved approximately 70 motorcycles, made five stops throughout Minnesota and generated $1,100 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation this summer.  PatientsLikeMe was proud to support this community event with a monetary donation and bright blue PatientsLikeMe t-shirts as part of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion program.

Congrats to Wayne and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr collection.

Thinking about organizing a team – or even founding an event like Wayne did?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

“I wanted to share my story to, frankly, save other men’s lives.  I discovered that very few knew anything about [prostate cancer].  Even less had had the PSA test.”

– Wayne Sticha, 64, Founder of Ride for Dads

Over the summer, we shared two interviews with PatientLikeMe members conducted by our partner Patient Power:  one with psoriasis patient Lissa and another with multiple sclerosis patient Marcia.  Today, against the backdrop of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we’re pleased to present the latest Patient Power video interview with member Wayne Sticha, a prostate cancer survivor from Lindstrom, Minnesota.

Check out Wayne’s interview to learn about his prostate cancer experience as well as how he was inspired to found Ride for Dads, an annual benefit and awareness motorcycle ride now in its third year.  What drives his passion for educating other men, who he says “tend to ignore the subtle signs of aging,” about prostate cancer?  And what are his aspirations for this growing event?  Hit “play” below to find out.

Wayne Sticha: Prostate Cancer Survivor Turned Advocate from Patient Power® on Vimeo.

Stay tuned for a post featuring one of Wayne’s photos from the 2012 Ride for Dads as well as the next installment of the Patient Power interview series.

The heat isn’t letting up this summer – but that isn’t stopping our members from participating in disease-related walk/run events in their local communities.

For inspiration, please meet some of the members of Parkinson’s disease patient daddytom’s team, who joined together to raise money and show solidarity at a Shake, Rattle and Roll Run sponsored by the American Parkinson Disease Association in Texas.  From left to right are Connie, Paula, Dorothy and Larry (the latter wearing blue PatientsLikeMeInMotion t-shirts) as they triumphantly cross the finish line.

Congrats to daddytom and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. We’re honored to support you every step of the way.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr collection.

Thinking about organizing a team for this fall?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

As we get deeper into summer, there are disease-related walk/run events happening almost every weekend.  What they all share is an opportunity for patients, friends and family to come together in solidarity and raise money for research and patient services.

For inspiration, please meet multiple sclerosis (MS) patient barneyhouse and her “Walking Warriors,” who took part in a recent Walk MS event in Ormond Springs, Florida.  By signing up for our PatientsLikeMeInMotion program, the team was able to score bright blue PatientsLikeMe t-shirts and a monetary donation towards their fundraising goal. “My sister, who is six years older, has had MS for over 30 years,” writes barneyhouse.  “So although this is new for me, it is not new to me.”

Congrats to the Walking Warriors team as well as all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored groups for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. We’re honored to support you in your journey.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr collection.

Thinking about organizing a team for this summer or fall?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

Summer is here, and that means there are disease-related walk/run events happening all around the country!

For inspiration, please meet epilepsy patient Monica (second from right), who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team at the National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington, DC.  Held on March 31, 2012, the two-mile walk occurred between Madison and Jefferson Drives on DC’s famous National Mall.  “I do a lot of fundraising on my Facebook page, so my friends and family all know I have epilepsy,” says Monica.

Congrats to Monica and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. We’re honored to support you every step of the way.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr collection.

Thinking about organizing a team for this summer or fall?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

“I have a hope that this foundation has a short life. We exist to help fund and find a cure. To do that we need to generate and raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease and its impact to the public. Awareness in turn will aid in generation of funding. Funding for a cure and funding for the personal side of the disease. Programs to get people moving, walking, riding, dancing, and exercising.”

– Mike Justak,  Founder of Mike Justak Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease

When PatientsLikeMe member Mike Justak (MJUSAK) realized that Parkinson’s disease (PD) funding was lagging, he decided to take action.  His goal:  to “put a face to Parkinson’s” and highlight the fact that it occurs in patients under the age of 50 as well as older patients.

Mike founded the Mike Justak Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease, and this year he began working on a “Faces of Parkinson’s Video Wall.”  It’s a pastiche of videos submitted by PD patients around the country that he plans to submit to the Parkinson’s Action Network, state governors and US senators.  To add your “face” to the project, all you have to do is submit a short, close-up video stating who you are, where you’re from and what you do.  See Mike’s sample video submission below.

Having being diagnosed with PD in his mid-forties, Mike has also focused on raising awareness of young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD).  Check out the growing number of profiles of young onset Parkinson’s patients – from a musician to a teacher to an NBA player – on his foundation’s Younger Faces page.

As Men’s Health Week concludes, we’d like to honor Mike for his efforts as well as thank PatientsLikeMe members tiredoftired and Rick N for sharing their essays about depression and multiple sclerosis (MS) earlier this week.  We salute all of our male members for making their voices heard!

Parkinson’s Awareness Month isn’t over yet!  This month-long effort is capped off by the Parkinson’s Unity Walk, which takes place Saturday, April 28th, in New York City’s Central Park.

The largest grassroots awareness event for Parkinson’s disease (PD), the Unity Walk is anticipated to attract more than 10,000 participants.  If you’ve never attended something of that size, it’s quite a lot of people.  Beyond the sheer scope of the event, there’s another noteworthy fact:  100% of all donations go towards research supported by the seven major US Parkinson’s foundations.*  In 2011, that came to more than $1.5 million!

Now in its 18th year, the Unity Walk is an opportunity for solidarity amongst the different PD organizations.  Admirably, these groups have shown there’s no need to compete for funds when you can come together as one.  “This event truly unifies the whole Parkinson’s community behind a common mission—supporting the best, cutting-edge research,” says Joyce Oberdorf, President and CEO of the National Parkinson Foundation.  “It is like no other.”

What’s new for 2012?  First, there’s a new 1.4 mile walk route in Central Park – slightly longer than 2011 but shorter than in previous years.  (It is wheelchair accessible.)  There will be free coffee served this year, and there will also be four food trucks on hand.  Another fun feature is the Team Photo Booth.  Get a printed copy of your photo right away and then download a digital copy later from the vendor website.  Learn about other new aspects here.

Over the years, PatientsLikeMe has sponsored a number of Unity Walk teams through our PatientsLikeMeInMotion program, which provides bright blue T-shirts, a monetary donation and more.  We’ve also attended the Unity Walk and interviewed some of the PatientsLikeMe members present.  Check out the short one-minute video below featuring four members of Team PatientsLikeMe at the 2010 Unity Walk.  (Find other Unity Walk interviews on our YouTube channel.)

*All Unity Walk donations are split evenly among these seven US organizations:  American Parkinson Disease Association, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson’s Action Network, The Parkinson Alliance, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center.

The weather is warming up, and calendars are filling up.  That means it’s time to starting thinking about spring walk/run events for your health condition!

For inspiration, please meet multiple sclerosis patient NewLife (center), who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team at Walk MS in St. Louis, Missouri.  Including a monetary donation from PatientsLikeMe, NewLife and her team raised $2,000 for MS research.  The group also shared a delightful day together.  NewLife says, “I was very touched by the support of my friends walking with me.  It truly meant a lot.”

Congrats to NewLife and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. We’re honored to support you every step of the way.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our Flickr album.

Thinking about organizing a team for this spring or summer? Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

Please meet ALS patient alsgirl (front and center in the wheelchair), who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team at the 2011 Walk to Defeat ALS in Dallas, Texas.  A longtime PatientsLikeMe member who is part of the ALS Public Registry, alsgirl has been living with this degenerative disorder – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – for 16 years.

Congrats to alsgirl and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your health condition. We’re honored to support you along your journey.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr slideshow.  (And if you’re a PatientsLikeMeInMotion team leader who has NOT sent in photos, we encourage you to do so.  You just might be featured on the blog next!)

Thinking about organizing a team for spring?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

Please meet ALS patient iceberg (front right), who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team at the 2011 Walk to Defeat ALS in Western Pennsylvania.  We count at least 25 bright blue PatientsLikeMeInMotion t-shirts worn by the team (called “Hrezo’s Heroes”), making this one of the biggest groups we’ve sponsored!

Congrats to iceberg and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your health condition. We’re honored to support you along your journey.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr slideshow.

Thinking about organizing a team for next spring?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

Please meet multiple sclerosis (MS) patient hotmama08, who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team that included two four-legged advocates at Walk MS in Columbia, SC, on May 14, 2011.  We especially love how the team member to the right wore bright blue shoes to match her PatientsLikeMeInMotion t-shirt!

Congrats to hotmama08 and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your health condition. We’re honored to support you every step of the way. For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our growing Flickr slideshow.

Thinking about organizing a team for next spring?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.

Please meet Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient Judith, who led a PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored team at the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in New York City last April.  Held annually in Central Park, this massive grassroots event donates 100% of funds raised to PD research.

Congrats to Judith and all of our PatientsLikeMeInMotion-sponsored teams for your efforts to raise funds and awareness for your condition. We’re honored to support you every step of the way.  For more PatientsLikeMeInMotion team photos, check out our Flickr gallery.

Thinking about organizing a team for next spring?  Learn more about the PatientsLikeMeInMotion program today.