For the past six years, siblings Andy Jr. and Sara Salisbury have “Pounded the Pavement” at the annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day to honor their father’s battle with Parkinson Disease. Through their incredible efforts in 2015, Pounding the Pavement for Parkinson’s raised over $66,000, bringing Andy Jr. and Sara close to reaching their goal of raising a half million dollars.
Andy and Sara’s father, Andy Salisbury Sr. was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson Disease at age 44. After his diagnosis, the Salisbury family wanted to find a way to support the physicians, patients and families served by Carolinas HealthCare System’s Center for Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders, where Mr. Salisbury receives treatment. Sara and Andy Jr. have turned their annual Pounding the Pavement event into a six-year effort that has raised over $450,000 for the Carolinas Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Endowment.
Proceeds from Pounding the Pavement for Parkinson’s support the RENEW Carolinas program (Research and Education in Neuro-Wellness), a community based neuro-wellness program for people with Parkinson Disease and a join-initiative of Carolinas HealthCare System’s Neurosciences Institute, Carolinas Rehabilitation, LiveWELL Health Center, and the YMCA. The RENEW program also includes healthy lifestyle management, which provides customized nutrition counseling and physical therapy to Parkinson’s patients like Mr. Salisbury.