Sunflower Revolution VI Primed to Bloom

CONTACT:
Cindy Starr  (513) 558-3505
cstarr@mayfieldclinic.com

CINCINNATI--A fun-filled Sunflower Streetfest will highlight a new format for the region’s largest and most important fundraiser for Parkinson’s disease research and wellness, Sunflower Revolution organizers announced today.

The sixth-annual Sunflower Revolution will take place September 11, 12 and 13. The event is a collaboration involving the University Hospital Foundation, the UC Neuroscience Institute, the Mayfield Clinic, the Historic Milford Association, and the Davis Phinney Foundation, based in Boulder, Colo.

Sunflower Revolution VI will showcase:

• the first Sunflower Streetfest, Sept. 11-12, in downtown Milford, Ohio;
• a free educational symposium for patients, families and caregivers, Sept. 12, at the Savannah Center in West Chester, Ohio
• and fundraising bike rides of 100K, 40K and 20K, Sept. 13, in Milford

Since 2004 the Sunflower Revolution and related events have raised $1.3 million for Parkinson’s disease research and wellness programs at the UC Neuroscience Institute at University Hospital.

Sunflower organizers also announced that Barb and Dale Ankenman (above) of Florence, Ky., will serve as the event’s honorary chairs. Dale Ankenman, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 46, is a cyclist and Parkinson’s advocate. Major sponsors include Reece-Campbell Construction, University Hospital, Kroger Company, the City of Milford, and Local 12.

Organizers will kick off the Sunflower season with a wine-tasting benefit from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at the Miami Township Kroger. The wine-tasting benefit will feature award-winning wines from the 2009 International Wine Festival. Tickets are $40 each; call (513) 584-0695.

The cost of the Sept. 13 bike ride is $80 per cyclist. The 100k ride includes a Platinum Challenge for serious cyclists, while the 20k family ride includes a scavenger hunt along the Little Miami Bike Trail. New this year is the Peloton Club, which welcomes individual riders, rider teams, and donors who raise $1,000 or more, with special admission, VIP activities and custom jerseys.

For more information about the Sunflower Streetfest, educational Symposium, and bike rides, please visit www.sunflowerrev.org.

The Sunflower Revolution was founded in 2004 by Kathleen Krumme, a Cincinnati bicycle shop manager whose late father suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and cycling legend Davis Phinney, a former Tour de France stage-winner who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 40. Phinney’s 18-year-old son, Taylor, is world cycling champion in the 4-kilometer individual pursuit.

Scientists at The Gardner Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders recently received research grants totaling $153,000 from the annual Sunflower Revolution fundraiser. Professor Kim Seroogy, Ph.D., director of the Selma Schottenstein Harris Laboratory for Research in Parkinson’s, received $53,000 to study the effects of exercise therapy on stress-induced depression in an animal model. Professor Timothy Collier, Ph.D., received $50,000 to investigate the ability of antidepressants to protect dopamine neurons that are lost in the disease in an animal model. And associate professor Caryl Sortwell, Ph.D. received $50,000 to study the mechanism that may underlie some of the therapeutic benefits of deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The Davis Phinney Foundation is dedicated to supporting research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating Parkinson’s disease. The Foundation also seeks to find ways to improve the lives of individuals challenged by the disease.

The UC Neuroscience Institute, a regional center of excellence, is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new treatments for stroke, brain and spinal tumors, epilepsy, traumatic brain and spinal injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, disorders of the senses (swallowing, voice, hearing, pain, taste and smell), and psychiatric conditions (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression).