our activities

Sponsorship and/or participation in various community activities is another way we work towards our mission.

NEW....."Pitch & Putt"

Stonehill Golf Course and the Parkinson Support Group of Sudbury invite you and your friends to come out to Pitch and Putt Monday’s.

Starting Monday June 13th, Stonehill Golf Course will be offering Pitch and Putt Golf on Monday afternoons and evenings (holiday Mondays excluded) in support of the Parkinson Support Group of Sudbury.

Parkside Mobility Program

Regular physical exercise is known to be one of the most effective treatment options we have for Parkinson’s. To promote exercise within our Parkinson community, we have partnered with Denise Maki & Tina Treitz of Kinnect to Wellness to provide twice weekly exercise classes targeted at Parkinson’s. The classes are held Mondays at 11am and Thursdays at 1pm in the Parkside Centre at the Sudbury YMCA. Classes are free for Parkinson’s families with costs subsidized by our group. During the pandemic gathering restrictions, classes were delivered virtually to keep everyone safe but still get the exercise benefits. Classes are once again being held in-person, but also virtually.

Rock Steady Boxing

Keeping with the exercise theme, Rock Steady Boxing is an international non-profit organization that has developed a non-contact boxing based fitness regime specifically designed to improve the lives of those impacted by Parkinson’s. Links to recent local media coverage:

CTV
Radio-Canada

New participants are always welcome! Contact Gord at 705-561-7215 for more details.

Top Glove Boxing Academy

Top Glove Boxing Academy is a local non-profit gym led by Canadian national boxing coach Gord Apolloni. They have been certified to deliver the Rock Steady Boxing program, and is tailored to the abilities of each participant. Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am. Top Glove is located at 147 Lorne St, Sudbury. You can contact Gord at 705-561-7215 for more details.

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month

We try to increase awareness of Parkinson’s Disease during April and arrange for the mayor to declare April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Sudbury. Up until Covid closed down our in-person activities, we promoted awareness through the sale of tulips, both cut and potted, having them arrive in time for Easter.

Community Activities

We provide speakers to interested community groups to increase public awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and the day to day challenges of living with it. Many of our members are willing to share their experiences while helping to educate others on what the disease entails and how they can help.

We develop “Information tables” suitable for wellness fairs and Seniors’ Wellness Days and our members staff the tables to answer questions about the disease as well as the support group.

We also aim to promote understanding of the challenges facing people with Parkinson’s in long-term care facilities. We have made presentations to a number of such facilities as well as agencies that serve people with Parkinson’s in the community.

We aim to connect with our community to spread awareness that there is support available and there are ways to live well with Parkinson’s.

Care Partners

Parkinson’s is a family disease, one that takes a team of involved and supportive caregivers to help an individual with Parkinson’s live their best life. In most cases however, the bulk of responsibility lies with one main care partner – a spouse, a child, or a friend. For this person, life has also changed forever when their loved one was diagnosed, and they must take on many new roles. Theirs is a demanding job, and one that many take on willingly without hesitation. It’s a role that demands compromise, encouragement and strength.

To support these care partners, we encourage them to fully participate in all aspects of our group. And, lucky for us many enthusiastically do!! They are angels that are very often the first to volunteer their time and skills for the group. Amazing!!

In recognition of their challenges, the group sponsors a monthly meeting specifically for care partners led by two experienced care partners. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss topics unique to their role.