Pedaling for Parkinson's

Pedaling for Parkinson’s is an annual fundraiser for Parkinson Canada. It is an important and ever-expanding resource for Canadians living with Parkinson’s and their care partners.

Pedaling for Parkinson’s

Pedaling for Parkinson’s invites cyclists to gear up for Parkinson’s and ride toward progress. When you join Pedaling for Parkinson’s, you fuel the work of Parkinson Canada by funding research, providing care, and creating resources, news, and events that transform the lives of people touched by Parkinson's. Since its inception in 2011, Pedaling for Parkinson’s has raised more than $2 million to support the Parkinson’s community.

Together, we have an immense impact on the research being done, the services being offered, and the people being supported every day.

Go the Distance

Go the Distance was developed during the pandemic when we were unable to host in-person events. It was an opportunity for the Parkinson’s community to host their own events, or ride on their own. Even though our in-person rides are back, we continue to offer Go the Distance as the ‘virtual’ option for cyclists that would like to fundraise for Pedaling for Parkinson’s but don’t have an in-person ride in their area or would like to do their own ride on their own time.

Registering online as a virtual cyclist through our Go the Distance ride gives you all the same access to fundraising tools, resources, and rewards as an in-person event, as well as the support of our team. You can ride as an individual or gather your friends and family for a small community ride.

We encourage riders to set meaningful distance and fundraising targets and know that in doing so they are joining riders across the country that are committed in their vision of a world without Parkinson's.

Some targeted goals:

  • 30KM in honour of 30 Canadians diagnosed with Parkinson’s every day
  • 100KM in honour of the (more than) 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson’s
  • 900KM total in one month, in honour of 30 Canadians diagnosed every day
  • Your Own Goal. Set a distance target meaningful to you, from 1KM to 1,000.

Parkinson Canada

More than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson’s, a number expected to increase substantially in the coming years, with 30 Canadians diagnosed each day. At Parkinson Canada, people with Parkinson’s are at the centre of everything we do. Parkinson Canada funds critical research, provides information and support, increases awareness and advocates for improved healthcare outcomes for people with Parkinson's across Canada. With the support of our sponsors, partners and the Parkinson’s community, we continue to invest in research dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for all people affected by Parkinson’s. 

Programs and Services

Parkinson Canada supports Canadians throughout all stages of their Parkinson journey. Every year, Parkinson Canada's programs and services reach nearly 10,000 Canadians living with Parkinson's and their care partners. They connect with our team to receive free and confidential non-medical information and support, and connection to our programs and service opportunities. We currently offer more than 120 support groups led by volunteer facilitators in communities across the country.

  • In 2023, the support of the Parkinson Community helped to launch CareFinder, an innovative, user-friendly online directory for Parkinson's informed programs & services. This wonderful resource is designed to provide a tailored listing based on location and search criteria of services, programs and supports in the community such as movement disorder specialists and essential wellness programs.
  • Parkinson Canada launched a national Peer-to-Peer Support Program in 2023 that matches trained volunteer mentors with those who are newly diagnosed or caring for someone with Parkinson's. This program provides one-on-one support, based on the lived experience of the mentor, to help reduce social isolation, build resiliency, and bring together individuals to share common experiences.
Research and Innovation

At Parkinson Canada, we bring together researchers to cultivate and support the most leading-edge science. Canada is home to some of the world's leading Parkinson's researchers. Since 1981, we have funded innovative research including discovery-stage science, fellowships for Movement Disorder Specialists, and training the next generation of Parkinson's research leaders. We are proud to have invested in the next generation of researchers and clinicians, many who have continued in the field determined to further our understanding of the disease as well as the care management of people living with Parkinson's.

  • This past year, over $1.8 million in research grants and awards were given to scientists to support their research and career in finding new treatments and a cure.
  • In 2023, Parkinson Canada co-hosted the 2nd annual Canadian Movement Disorders Meeting to bring Parkinson's researchers and clinicians from across the country together to discuss the latest advances in Parkinson's research and clinical care.
  • In 2019, Parkinson Canada co-funded the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) with Brain Canada. This network aims to accelerate Parkinson’s research breakthroughs. C-OPN has 10 clinical sites across the country, and we will continue expanding to reach additional communities and researchers across Canada. We currently have sites in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, London, Lévis and Quebec City.
Advocacy

Parkinson Canada believes that living well with Parkinson's is still possible. We are committed to raising the voice of people affected by Parkinson's and their care partners to advance solutions toward improved care, supports, and quality of life so all Canadians affected by Parkinson's can thrive. We do this by engaging directly with federal, provincial, and territorial governments to raise awareness of the impact Parkinson's disease has on the lives of Canadians as well as through engagement and collaboration with community partners and like-minded organizations. Our community initiatives raise awareness for much-needed programs and services for the Parkinson community.

  • Parkinson Canada embarked on an initiative to influence the government to increase the funds transferred to provinces and territories for healthcare. In early 2023, the federal government announced that it would increase funding by $46 billion. Parkinson Canada will ensure that the funds reach the Parkinson's community, resulting in reduced wait times for treatment and diagnosis.
  • Parkinson Canada is actively engaged in ongoing work toward the development of a Canada Disability Benefit (Bill C-22). The Legislation passed in Parliament in June 2023 and Parkinson Canada continues to raise the voice of the Parkinson's community as the details of the benefit are being developed.
  • On October 24, 2023, Parkinson Canada held a Parkinson's on the Hill Day in Ottawa, an annual event to raise awareness of the impact of Parkinson's disease with elected officials, senators and government decision-makers and advocate for needed policies and programs that will enable our community to thrive. You can read the highlights from our Hill Day here.
  • Parkinson Canada has been advocating to government officials on the need to streamline processes to attract drug manufacturers to not only launch but to keep medicines in Canada and work toward making Canada a leader in access to the best medicines. We have been working with Health Canada toward a resolution on the discontinuation of two rescue medications, Movapo and Kynmobi, for the Canadian market and are hopeful that we will arrive at a solution that will enable Canadians who currently, or may in future, rely on these medicines to access them.
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