From left, Benito Romanach,
Fredy Revilla, MD, and Davis Phinney
at the ride. Dr. Revilla is head of the
Center for Parkinson's Disease and
Movement Disorders at
The Neuroscience Institute. August 25, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kathleen Krumme
The Davis Phinney Foundation
(513) 304-4854 kkrumme@davisphinneyfoundation.com
CONTACT: Cindy Starr, MSJ,
The Neuroscience Institute
(513) 584-2214
starrcm@healthall.com |
Davis Phinney Foundation's
Sunflower Revolution II a Huge Success
While Raffle Continues Raising Funds for Parkinson's Disease Research
CINCINNATI -- Sunflower Revolution II, an educational and fundraising event hosted by the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research and Wellness, drew 1,000 participants and grossed $160,000 with its gala, Symposium & Expo, and bike ride last weekend, organizers said Thursday. The foundation's raffle, meanwhile, has soared beyond the $55,000 mark, with more than a month to go.
The Davis Phinney Foundation is named after Davis Phinney, a Tour de France stage-winner whose 300 national and international victories make him America 's winningest cyclist. Phinney, 46, was diagnosed at age 40 with early-onset Parkinson's disease.
Friday night's Sunflower gala and auction drew a crowd of 400; the Symposium & Expo for patients, caregivers, and physicians, a project of the Mayfield Clinic and
The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital,
drew 250; and Sunday's bike rides of 62 and 25 miles drew 400.
Fredy J. Revilla, MD, a Parkinson's disease expert at The Neuroscience Institute, described the three-day event as remarkable. He said that feedback from patients, colleagues, members of the public, and cyclists has been overwhelming.
Said Connie Carpenter Phinney, wife of Davis Phinney and a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in cycling: "What a great weekend! This gathering of physicians, patients, caregivers, cyclists, sponsors and supporters was incredible. We share a vision and we're all on the same team. Thanks to Greater Cincinnati for giving the Davis Phinney Foundation legs to stand on and to our friends at The Neuroscience Institute for doing the really hard work in looking for a cure so that we might run!"
Meanwhile, the Davis Phinney Foundation is continuing its sale of one thousand raffle tickets for $100 each by mail and at http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.com/dpf_raffle.php .
The prize: serial number 00001 of the all-new, limited-production 2006 MeiVici (my victory) Serotta bicycle with state-of-the-art Shimano Dura Ace components. The bike, unveiled by the legendary frame-builder Ben Serotta at Sunflower Revolution II, is valued at more than $10,000. The drawing will take place September 28, 2005.
To purchase a raffle ticket by mail, send a check to:
Davis Phinney Foundation Raffle
c/o Oakley Cycles
3010 Madison Road
Cincinnati , OH 45209
If paying by check, please include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address with your payment. Raffle tickets will be mailed to the recipient after payment is received. Questions regarding the raffle may be directed to: david@davisphinneyfoundation.org
Following the first Sunflower Revolution gala and bike ride in 2004, the Davis Phinney Foundation made a $100,000 gift to The Neuroscience Institute for basic science research and the establishment of the Davis Phinney/Donald Krumme Fellowship in Parkinson's and Movement Disorders.
An estimated 1.5 million Americans live with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells deep within the brain. Five percent of patients are 40 years old or younger when they show initial symptoms of the disease. There is no cure for Parkinsons at this time, and scientists do not yet know how to slow or halt the progression of this disease of motion, which gradually robs patients of their ability to move and speak.
The Davis Phinney Foundation is dedicated to supporting research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating Parkinsons disease. The Foundation also seeks to find ways to improve the lives of individuals challenged by the disease. The Foundation is focusing its efforts on raising funds that will be distributed as grants to laboratory and clinical research programs that are investigating the causes of Parkinsons disease and new, potentially curative therapies for Parkinsons patients.
The Neuroscience Institute is a regional center of excellence that embraces nine neuroscience specialties within the University Hospital , the Health Alliance, and the UC College of Medicine. The Institute is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new medical technologies.
Sponsors of Sunflower Revolution II include Serotta Competition Bicycles, Shimano USA , Local 12 of Cincinnati , Betty Carpenter, and Reece-Campbell Construction, Inc.
Mayfield Clinic is recognized as one of the nation's leading physician organizations for clinical care, education, and research of the spine and brain. Mayfield, which is affiliated with the UC Department of Neurosurgery, includes 18 neurosurgeons and treats 20,000 patients from 35 states and a dozen countries in a typical year. Mayfield's neurosurgeons are active participants in important clinical trials and have pioneered surgical procedures and instrumentation that have revolutionized the medical art of neurosurgery for brain tumors and neurovascular diseases and disorders. |
