Courtesy Photo Pictured from left to right are Cindy Ranshaw, office manager of Southend Emporium Art and History Center, Judy Poli and Kathy Brown, facilitators of the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering, and Donna Precord, past facilitator of the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering.

ALPENA — Southend Emporium Art and History Center recently presented a $300 check to the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering as one of their nonprofit recipients of their garage sale pick-up program.

The Southend Emporium Art and History Center offers a shopping extravaganza showcasing an ever-changing selection of new, vintage, and reimagined merchandise from an expanding family of vendors and consignors. Their garage sale pick-up program was created to help the community by taking the hassle out of cleaning up after a garage sale for individuals and supporting local nonprofits. You simply contact Ray at the Emporium and he will arrange to come, pack up, and haul away your remaining items. They then sort, clean, sell the items, and donate 70% or more from the sale of the items to the charities they have selected for the year. The Emporium is located at 2490 U.S.-23 South in Alpena, open from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. During the summer, they are open seven days a week. They can be reached at 989-340-0968.

Emporium Co-managers Ray and Cindy Ranshaw have a special connection to the Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering. Cindy’s father, Dale Precord, had Parkinson’s Disease and her mother, Donna Precord, was a facilitator for the support group for a number of years.

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the dopamine-producing neurons in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra. Parkinson’s is most often associated with a resting tremor, but there are many more motor and non-motor symptoms that may be caused by the disease. The criteria of diagnosis for Parkinson’s requires a person to have bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and one or more of the following symptoms: 1) resting tremor, 2) stiffness or rigidity of the arms, legs or trunk, and 3) trouble with balance or falls, according to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. Diagnosis is “clinical,” meaning that an individual’s history, symptoms, and a physical exam are used to make the diagnosis. Currently, there is no specific lab or imaging test that diagnoses Parkinson’s, though certain tests can support the diagnosis of Parkinson’s and rule out other medical conditions that can mimic the disease. If you, or a loved one, suspects that they may have Parkinson’s, speak to your primary care provider and request a referral to a movement disorder specialist.

More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s Disease, with approximately 1.5 million in the United States. Michigan has a higher prevalence of Parkinson’s than the national average, with an estimated 35,000 people diagnosed with the disease. Though the disease currently is not curable, there are a lot of resources and support available to those affected by the disease and their care partners. One of those invaluable resources is connecting with a support group.

The Alpena Parkinson’s Support Gathering is one of more than 70 support groups in Michigan offered by the Michigan Parkinson’s Foundation. The group meets monthly at 1 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at the First United Methodist Church, 167 S. Ripley Blvd., Alpena. In addition, the group has social gatherings and a monthly caregiver coffee hour. For more information, contact Kathy Brown at 989-884-1193 or Judy Poli at 989-370-6854.

Another invaluable resource for those with Parkinson’s is the Michigan Parkinson Foundation, whose mission is to empower and support individuals impacted by Parkinson’s and related movement disorders, their care partners, families and health care professionals. They do so by providing support, education and care through community, education, respite, and exercise programs. To find out more or to donate to the MPF, go to parkinsonsmi.org or call 800-852-9781.