$455,000 was raised during the 2024 Shake It ‘Til We Make It gala to support our efforts to empower people impacted by Parkinson’s disease to lead active and fulfilling lives. Many thanks to our sponsors, guests, and many other supporters far and wide!
Come meet the BGF staff and others in the Parkinson’s community in Portland, open house style! Join us when you can. Stay for as little or as long as you like from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. We will have food, beverages, and few games to play.
We will also debut a few of our newest community stories with screenings at 5:00pm and 7:00pm if you would like to see them. These are short videos, crafted by PwP and care partners in a storytelling workshop, offering an intimate view into their personal journey with Parkinson’s.
We look forward to seeing you. Be social with us!
CLICK HERE for location details and to register!
Megan Taye shares her story of the positive impact that the Brian Grant Foundation community has had on her life.
One more way BGF acknowledged World Parkinson’s Day on April 11, 2024 was at the Portland Blazers game as the 50/50 raffle beneficiary. Thank you to our wonderful, truly dedicated volunteers who broke this year’s record selling over $17,000 worth of tickets!
Spark the Night is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness of Parkinson’s disease. It involves illuminating landmarks, buildings, and iconic landmarks with blue lights on World Parkinson’s Day, April 11, to symbolize unity, support, and visibility for the Parkinson’s community.
Explore your creativity with the PD Avengers “SparkArt” Contest. Share your unique perspective on Parkinson’s and join PD Avengers in raising awareness. Your art could spark meaningful conversations and make a real impact. Show your support for Parkinson’s wellness, advocacy, and research. Click here for a gallery of SparkArt and to learn how to submit your own art before March 31.
Our February Wellness Webcast: How to Get the Best Night’s Sleep with PD, was one of our largest attending webcasts. PD Avengers takes the conversation deeper and recently launched a Sleep Survey, surveying the “Late Evening Effects of Parkinson’s.”
People with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners are encouraged to share their input and experiences around sleep and symptoms that may be more pronounced during the night. Click here to visit their Sleep Survey website and access the survey.
Our Spring Newsletter is Out and Available for Download Below
Our Spring newsletter is now out and available for download in English and Spanish below. In this issue you’ll read stories from Brian and others in our community, tips on sleeping with Parkinson’s, and more.
Want the newsletter mailed to your home or business?
If you would like to receive a copy mailed straight to your mailbox, join our mail list. The BGF newsletter is produce twice a year, in the Spring and Fall. send your send us your mailing address to info at Brian grant adore.
Learn about the role of nutrition in maintaining health, common challenges to healthy eating, and meal prep tips for people with Parkinson’s. Webcast presenter Jelena Etemovic, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, will also offer her perspective as a care partner for her father with Parkinson’s.
Brian Grant Foundation Celebrates Community for Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April.
Month-long campaign culminates in the organization’s 13th annual gala on April 25, 2024, featuring Blazers legend Brian Grant and other members of the Parkinson’s community.
Portland, Ore. (March 7, 2024) – April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and the Brian Grant Foundation (BGF) is celebrating the Parkinson’s community with a month of special programs and events, including its 13th annual “Shake It ‘Til We Make It” gala on April 25, 2024 at 6pm at Castaway Portland. The gala, presented by Dick’s Auto Group, Jamba Juice, Moda Health, and Pivot Group will bring together 250 guests to raise essential support for BGF’s programs to empower people impacted by Parkinson’s disease to lead active and fulfilling lives.
“Building a community of people who support one another to live what’s possible today is the foundation of our programs to improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s,” says Katrina Kahl, executive director of the Brian Grant Foundation. “We’re excited to come together to raise awareness of Parkinson’s throughout the month of April.”
“Shake It ‘Til We Make It” launched in 2010, two years after former Blazer Brian Grant was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease. The event includes a four-course dinner, live and silent auctions, and a program celebrating the people and organizations that have made BGF’s achievements possible. In addition to the event’s presenting sponsors, gold sponsors include AbbVie, CWC Advisors, Jordan Brand, ‘Ohana Ventures, NBA Cares, Pearl Catering, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sapphire Health Services. Tickets are available at briangrant.org/gala.
In April, BGF will also launch the fifth season of its podcast, “On Time: A Parkinson’s Podcast” with seasoned radio host Larry Gifford, who is living with Parkinson’s disease. Larry and his guests will discuss how stigma affects people with Parkinson’s, to help overcome the social isolation that many people with the disease encounter.
BGF will also be the recipient of the 50/50 raffle at the Blazers game on April 11, 2024, which is World Parkinson’s Day. Anyone attending the game that night against the Golden State Warriors can purchase raffle tickets and support our programs for people with Parkinson’s.
For more information about BGF’s programs and events in April, visit our events page.
Celebrating My 52nd Birthday with my Community!
Today, March 5, 2024, I am celebrating my 52nd birthday. Like many people, celebrating my birthday is a chance to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. Through all the highs and lows, I’ve always had friends and family to support me. When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I also had a chance to make new friends in the Parkinson’s community. I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating – meeting other people with Parkinson’s and making new connections in our community was the best thing I did when I was diagnosed.
Community is so important to living well with Parkinson’s that we’ve made it the foundation of our programs at BGF. Whether you’re part of our online community or one of the folks who comes out for our events in Portland, you’re important to us. You’re helping us build a community that supports one another to do what’s possible today.
If you haven’t had a chance to connect with your community lately, I encourage you to do so. You never know who you might meet – like when I met my Portland to Coast teammate Todd Vogt (in the picture standing at the very end on the left) who is a champion rower on his way to the Paralympics in Paris this summer! I’m proud of Todd, who is living with young onset Parkinson’s disease, for continuing to find ways to do the things he loves. Parkinson’s doesn’t define us and we’re stronger together.
Keep living well,
Brought to you by Amneal, StrivePD, and Providence Brain and Spine Institute
