Upcoming Meetings and Events for 2026

Upcoming Support Group Meetings and Special Events for 2026

July 23, 2026 Support Group Meeting The topic of our July meeting is Dance for Parkinson's. Experience the freedom of moving your body to fun music in a safe space. Dance instructors Kathy Van Hoof and Dr. Elaine Silver will talk about their free weekly classes for Parkinson's patient and their care-givers at the Sierra 2 Center in the Curtis Park neighborhood, and they plan to get us moving! The classes are suitable for all ages and abilities. The Dance for PD program was started by David Leventhal, a professional dancer with the Mark Morris Dance Company. Kathy has been teaching the Dance for Parkinson’s classes in Sacramento for over 14 years along with Elaine Silver and Lisa Ferrin. Kathy has a degree in dance from CSU Sacramento and has danced with Sacramento Ballet, Capitol City Ballet and the Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble. Elaine was a physician in Internal Medicine at Kaiser for 30 years, but her true love has always been dancing, and especially ballet. As a physician, Elaine had several patients who had Parkinson’s disease, and so teaching a dance class for them was a natural fit. Come and join us on July 23rd. Place: Dante Event Center               2330 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento Date:  Thursday, July 23, 2026 Time:  Doors open at 9:30 AM — come early for social time               Meeting starts at 10:00 AM               Elaine and Kathy' presentation will begin at 10:30 AM

July 2026 Parkinson's Focused Webinars

July 2026 Parkinson’s-focused Webinars and Virtual Events with Speakers **Corrected** This information is provided to us by Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach, a service of Stanford University. July has a well-rounded variety of PD-related topics. Check them all out! We encourage you to register NOW for anything of interest. That way, if you aren’t able to attend the live event, you will be alerted if/when the recording is available. About the list below, unless indicated, all webinars and virtual events are: Times listed as PT. (We are based in California, after all.) One hour in duration. (Usually, the speaker talks for 30-40 minutes and there’s a question-and-answer session for the remaining time.) If there is no speaker indicated, the speaker is unknown at the time of this email. For a general audience. Not focused on a single medication, branded treatment, or application. (Those are excluded.) Free. We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach occasionally attend a webinar and share our notes. Notes from excellent PD-focused webinars are often posted to our blog at https://parkinsonsblog.stanford.edu. *********************************************************

Exercising Together

Finding an Exercise Partner We have been approached by one of our members who would like to find a walking partner who lives in her neighborhood. To help her and others, we circulated a spreadsheet at our June meeting for those who are interested in finding nearby exercise partners. The spreadsheet lists their name, neighborhood, phone number, and email address. Click Here to View the spreadsheet. Hopefully, this information will allow you to identify and contact a nearby exercise partner. Exercising with someone in your neighborhood would be a great way to get more exercise, while developing new friends and sharing experiences. Note: The support group facilitators do not intend to manage this activity.

June 25, 2026 Support Group Meeting Our June speaker will be Stephani Gunther from Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center. She will provide a brief overview of the services offered by the center. Stephani will highlight the free services available to family caregivers. Del Oro offers support groups for partners and families of people with Parkinson’s, counseling, respite coordination, legal and financial consultations, and caregiver education designed to help caregivers navigate the challenges of caring for a loved one at home.   We hope that you will join us on June 25th. Place: Dante Event Center               2330 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento Date:  Thursday, June 25, 2026 Time:  Doors open at 9:30 AM — come early for social time               Meeting starts at 10:00 AM               Stephani's presentation will begin about 10:30 AM

Finding an Exercise Partner We have been approached by one of our members who would like to find a walking partner who lives in her neighborhood. To help her and others, we will be circulating a spreadsheet at our June meeting for those who are interested in finding nearby exercise partners. Those who are interested will add their name, neighborhood, phone number, and email address. Following the meeting, we will email copies of the spreadsheet to our members, hopefully allowing you to identify and contact a nearby exercise partner. Support group facilitators do not intend to manage this activity.

An Opportunity For Spanish Speakers

For Spanish Speakers Do you know of someone with Parkinson's or a care partner who is a Spanish speaker? If so, please forward this information to them. Thanks.

June 2026 Parkinson's Focused Webinars

June 2026 Parkinson’s-focused Webinars and Virtual Events with Speakers This information is provided to us by Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach, a service of Stanford University. January has a well-rounded variety of PD-related topics. Check them all out! We encourage you to register NOW for anything of interest. That way, if you aren’t able to attend the live event, you will be alerted if/when the recording is available. About the list below, unless indicated, all webinars and virtual events are: Times listed as PT. (We are based in California, after all.) One hour in duration. (Usually, the speaker talks for 30-40 minutes and there’s a question-and-answer session for the remaining time.) If there is no speaker indicated, the speaker is unknown at the time of this email. For a general audience. Not focused on a single medication, branded treatment, or application. (Those are excluded.) Free. We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach occasionally attend a webinar and share our notes. Notes from excellent PD-focused webinars are often posted to our blog at https://parkinsonsblog.stanford.edu. *********************************************************

June 2026 Parkinson's Focused Webinars

June 2026 Parkinson’s-focused Webinars and Virtual Events with Speakers

This information is provided to us by Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach, a service of Stanford University. There seem to be fewer virtual events in June. Maybe because PD organizations have been focused on the World Parkinson’s Congress, which just wrapped up.  We encourage you to attend live, so you have the opportunity to ask questions but register NOW for everything of interest. That way, if you aren’t able to attend the live event, you will be alerted if/when the recording is available. About the list below, unless indicated, all webinars and virtual events are: Times listed as PT. (We are based in California, after all.) One hour in duration. (Usually, the speaker talks for 30-40 minutes and there’s a question-and-answer session for the remaining time.) If there is no speaker indicated, the speaker is unknown at the time of this email. For a general audience. Not focused on a single medication, branded treatment, or application. (Those are excluded.) Free. We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach occasionally attend a webinar and share our notes. Our notes from excellent PD-focused webinars are often posted to our blog at https://parkinsonsblog.stanford.edu. ****************************************************

May 28, 2026 Support Group Meeting Our May meeting speaker will be registered nurse, Lou Basinal.  Her topic is Stand Tall, Stay Strong, Stay Independent: Strategies for Living Well Beyond Your Diagnosis.  Lou will include practical tips for remaining independent, things to look for when hospitalized, and tools to help you and/or your loved one get better faster.   We hope that you will join us on May 28th. Place: Dante Event Center               2330 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento Date:  Thursday, May 28, 2026 Time:  Doors open at 9:30 AM — come early for social time               Meeting starts at 10:00 AM               Lou's presentation will begin at 10:30 AM

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Celebration of Life for Kay Griffin

A Celebration of Life Service for long-time member Kay Griffin will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 11 am at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 2140 Mission Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608. A reception immediately following the service will be held in the Parish Hall.  Any questions, please call Marcie Larkey at (916) 488-6960. Our previously-distributed announcement of Kay's passing is repeated below.

The Passing of Long-Term Member Kay Griffin It is with great sadness we share the passing of one of our dearest and long-term members, Kay Griffin.  Kay passed away on March 17th.  The family plans right now are to have a service at St. Michael’s Church on May 9th at 11 AM.   The family suggests that you read Kay’s obituary in a future edition of The Sacramento Bee, which will give more information.  We will also share additional information when we receive it.  If you would like to send a personal message to Hugh and his sons, Scott and Tim, their mailing address is: Hugh Griffin, 4944 Kipling Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608 Email address:  [email protected]

Gait and Parkinson's Disease

The following webinar notes were provided by Kevin Boyd of the Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach Program of Stanford Medicine. In April 2026, Dr. Nate Komer, a doctor of physical therapy, presented a detailed look at gait and Parkinson’s disease (PD) for a Northwest Parkinson's Foundation (NWPF) webinar. Gait changes are among the most common and consequential effects of PD, and understanding what causes them is important for addressing them. For people living with PD, walking and gait require attention and effort. For most of those without PD, walking is done without thinking.

May 2026 Parkinson's Focused Webinars

May 2026 Parkinson’s-focused Webinars and Virtual Events with Speakers This information is provided to us by Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach, a service of Stanford University. There are a few out of the ordinary topics in the May virtual education line up, including when PD meets the aging brain, AI and PD, access to recreation for people with mobility issues, deciphering PD medical lingo, and a couple of talks on “taboo topics.” Those only scratch the surface of the 25 webinars on the list. Take a look! We encourage you to register NOW for anything of interest. That way, if you aren’t able to attend the live event, you will be alerted if/when the recording is available.

March 2026 Meeting

March 26, 2026 Support Group Meeting Our next meeting will feature Kaitlyn Wise, the lead trainer at Roseville Health and Wellness Center.  She has been training there for 15 years.  Kaitlyn has a BS in exercise philosophy and an ACSM Personal Training License.  She has over 8 years of experience in working with Parkinson’s patients and has created a program that tailors to walking gait, cognitive exercise, strength training, and balance.  Kaitlyn has a passion for working with seniors and those who have Parkinson’s.  She is part of PANC ParkinsonWise trained professionals.  Kaitlyn plans to share the benefits of exercise and how it can help with daily living. We hope that you will join us! Place: Dante Event Center               2330 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento Date:   Thursday, February 26th Time:  Doors open at 9:30 AM               Meeting starts at 10:00 AM               Kaitlyn's presentation will begin at 10:30 AM