Welcome to Mark In The Park — a podcast about life, not just Parkinson’s. Hosted by Mark Milow, aka MarkInThePark21, this is a space where honesty meets optimism, and everyday moments matter just as much as the big ones. This week’s guest is Caregiver and WPC Volunteer Coordinator Grove Ayers. Grove’s Jamie’s Bio reads: In 2005, at the age of 72, Grove's father was diagnosed with PD. Having just sold his business and retired, Grove's Dad declared, "Parkinson's is my job now". He got to work: he got involved with support groups, testified before Congress, lobbied his representative on Capitol Hill, and he joined the board of his local PD organization-Parkinson's Resources of Oregon. After he died in early 2020, his brain was donated to the OHSU Brain Bank for research. Grove's father lived with Parkinson's disease for the last 15 years of his life and Grove cycles, walks and hikes on behalf of his father. He keeps moving because he knows that active movement is critical to people with Parkinson's like his father, but also for their family members. If you follow him online, you know that one of his mantras is "Keep Moving". Keep moving through disease, keep moving through rough times, keep moving to stay healthy. Walking, running, biking, beachcombing, golfing, puttering around the house...it all counts! And using the CharityMiles app, you can make sure that "Every Mile Matters". Grove has logged almost 70,000 CharityMiles, many for NorthWest Parkinson's Foundation. You can use CharityMiles to support NorthWest Parkinson's Foundation by downloading the free app here https://charitymiles.org/. NWPF is a leader in delivering FREE relevant, accessible, quality programs and services to enhance the lives of individuals managing the consequences of Parkinson’s Disease. Local and independent, NWPF has a primary service area of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Northern Utah. Grove has served on the NWPF Board of Directors as well as a recent 2-year term as President. https://nwpf.org/ Since 2015, Grove has served as a Volunteer Coordinator for the triennial World Parkinson Congress (staffing and working the WPCs in Portland 2016, Kyoto 2019, Barcelona 2023, and Phoenix 2026). To learn more about the WPC2026, visit https://wpc2026.org/ https://about.me/Grove * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Want to know more about Parkinson’s Disease? You will find great resources at the Parkinson’s Foundation website or by calling their hotline below: 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) www.parkinson.org If you have a question or suggestion for the podcast, or would like me to speak at an event, you can reach me at markintheparkpodcast@gmail.com . You can also check out my website www.markinthepark21.com Thank you for listening! Please Like, Subscribe and tell a friend if you enjoyed the show! Music by James Wigley 👏 Special thanks to my BFF Nikki ❤️ And to the one who helped me find light in the darkness, I will always be thankful! #Parkinsons #Tenacity #YOPD #Inspiration #Resilience #Hope #Fun #WPC #DadJoke
