$20K awarded to Rochester nonprofit

(ABC 6 News) – The Parkinson’s Foundation announced the recipients of more than $2 million in community grants for Parkinson’s disease (PD) programs across the U.S.

The Foundation invests in community programs that make an impact in local communities and help people live better with PD by providing support for unmet health, wellness, and educational needs.

ExercisAbilities, Inc (EA) in Rochester was one of two recipients in Minnesota awarded $20,000 to create a year-long program called “Living a Healthy Life with Parkinson’s Disease”. This program will build off of EA’s previous webinar series also funded by the PF.

In this new series, EA will host in-person healthy living classes that are based on the Parkinson’s Exercise Recommendations. The class, held at EA, will include exercise, fun, work on balance and healthy living choices to gain and retain skills to help participants and their care partners to live a great life with Parkinson’s.

Of the $2 million awarded, community grants range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $25,000 per recipient. The 2022 grant cycle focuses on programs that educate and deliver exercises specifically designed for people with PD, reach those who are newly diagnosed, and address the intersection of mental health and PD.

The programs funded by the Foundation will benefit people with PD in 42 states in the U.S. “We are so excited to again be a Parkinson’s Foundation Grantee,” said ExercisAbilities, Inc Founder and CEO Melanie Brennan, PT, DPT. “Their support is vital to ensure all individuals who desire support to live a healthier life through programs like ours receive that support without financial burden.”

Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $9.4 million in 716 community-based programs.