1,000+ people donate to R4P

Jason on July 17, 2012

Thank you!!!


We want to extend a special thank you to each and everyone who chose to support the R4P campaign this year. It takes a lot of people to make such a wonderful campaign come together, and we are so very appreciative of your generosity. To all the supporters below, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts and our PAPA!

Sincerely,

Jason F. Boschan

 2012 Run4Papa Donors

• ABC Delivery • Lana & Gregory Abidor • Cobey Abramowski • Logan Abrams • Wendy and Henry Abrams • Marcia Abramson • Alan and Sharyl Ackerman • Madeline Agaton • Julie Alexander • Margaret and Darryl Anderson • Leisha Andrew • Charyl Apple • Margo and Marty Apple • Adele Armbruster • Libby August • Arash Babaoff • Faye and Al Ascher • Darnell Badger • Anne Baker • Natalie Baker • Mary and Russ Barnett • Adam Barnosky • Patricia Barnum • Helena and Ed Bartholomew • Mary and Lawrence Bartman • Karla Bates • Marcia Beckwith • Ruth and Norman Beitner • Zack Bello • Brooke Bendix • Lauren Bendix • Gerrie and Herman Bennett • Liz and Bob Berlow • Marilyn and Richard Berman • Shelly and Harvey Berman • Sharon and Harold Berry • Barbara and Stan Bershad • Krishna Bharani • Lauren and Sam Bienenstock • Eileen Bigio • Melanie Bishop • Winona Blake • Robyn Blake • Roz and Stanford Blanck • Erica Bland • Stacey and Jon Block • Sandy and Sheldon Borkin • Julie and Eric Borman • Marcy Borofsky • Arthur and Doris Boschan Family Fund • Jared Boschan • Jason F. Boschan • Jonathan Boschan • Natalie Boschan • Shelley and Jim Boschan • Suzanne Boschan • Shannon Brady • Beth and Avraham Brandvain • Heather Bridges • Dee and Seymour Brode • Dina Brodsky • Stacy and Jeffrey Brodsky • Helene Brody • Thelma and Neil Brown • William Brown • Sherryl Buchler • Paul Burnett • Lisa Burnjas • Daniel Burns • Lynn Buskard • Dorothy Campbell • Joy and Marc Cantor • Jennifer Carmel • Janice Carter • Nicole Casey • William Catlin • Central Illinois Youth Symphony • Julie and Dennis Chaiken • Sharon Chapman • Nanice Chayet • Allan Chernick • Mimi Chernick • Renee Chernick • Adam Christensen • Shawn Christensen • Ilene Citrin • Allison Cobb • Lori and Hugh Coffman • Elaine Cohen • Glorida Cohen • Sandra and Harlan Cohen • Connie and Jim Coleman • Juamello Coleman • Debbie and Andy Colman • Julie Conigliaro • Kevin Connolly • Brad Connor • Jerry Connor – Carolina Printing Company • Kevin Conroy • Sandi Constantino-Thompson • Carolyn Croll • John Curry • Gail Curtiss • Jennifer Curtiss • Amy and Ezra Cutler • Lauren and Marvin Daitch • Meg Dawson • Brett deMarrais • Linda Dembs • Sharon Denny • Timothy Desiano • Heather Desmond • Brian Dilworth • Lisa and Donald Dishell • Evelyn Diskin • Mala Dorfman • Angelo Dozier • Cayle Drabinsky • Patrick Drain • Barbara Dubb • Danny Duello • Theresa Duello • Marilee Dunn • Elaine Edelson • Amy Eisen • Emily Eisenberg • Marsha and Harry Eisenberg • Philip Elkus • Brett Endelman • Sandra Endelman • Ray Epstein • Eve Ewing • Dave Feldman • Alexandra and Jordan Felsen • Olivia Felsen • Kari Ferrell • Celia and Maury Feuerman • Beverly and Stuart Fine • Laurie and Jeffrey Fishgrund & Family • Alex Fitzpatrick • Michael Foote • Kate Foran • Matt Foran • Miriam and Jeffrey Forman • Paula Foss • Kathleen Franke • Beatrice Freder • Neal Freder • Caryn and Allan Friedman • Pam and Michael Friedman • Michael Gallagher • Mary and Donald Ganiere • Beth Gans • Lori Gapinkski • Nancy Gapinski • Linda and Joel Garfield • Rebecca Garmany • Lori and Larry Garon • Brad Garoon • Tamar Gefen • Yulia and Vlad Gilevskiy • Ventimiglia Gioacchino • Lisa and Bob Gittleman • Barry Given • Linda and Herbert Glass • Robin and Neil Goldberg • Shira Goldberg • Faith and Avery Golden • Al Goldman • Linda and Art Golumbia • Enid and Gary Goodman • Judy and Roy Goodman • Abbey Goodyear • Ari Goosen • Tamara and Bruce Gorash • ilana Gorback • Joy Gorback • Debbie and Jim Gordon • David Greenbaum • Elaine and Fred Greenspan • Christopher Grimes • Beth and Bruce Gursky • David and Kim Gustafson – Opedix • Jill and Brad Guz • Rita Haddow • Jeramy Hall • Pamela Hallenback • Rita Harris • Ann Harshbarger • Kathleen Hayes • Yoni Heisler • Caleb, Paige & Victor Henderson-Seroussi • Jan Henry • Linda Hensel • Nancy Hensel • William Hensel • Doreen Hermelin • Betsy and Jeff Heuer • Sara Hill • Marty Hirschman • Leigh and Jason Hittleman • Jackie Hollingsworth-Steele • Deedie and David Holtzman • Florian Hooper • Debra Hoover • Chris Hopkins • Maureen and Elliot Hudes • Robert Hurley • Frieda and Jay Igol • Indian Prairie Community School District #204 • Hilary and Selwin Isakow • Mathew Isherwood • Stephanie Jackson • Roslyn and Van Wesley Jackson • Elyse and Andy Jacob • Millie Jacobson • Brenda and Ira Jaffe • Jonathan Jager-Hyman • Jenna Jones • Maurice Jones • Mark Kahn • Ruth Kahn • Mary Kaneris • Susan Kanfer • Lisa and Steven Kaplan • Helen Kasic • Sharon and Samuel Katz • Lois and Paul Katzman • Sue and Allan Kaufman • Julie Keck • Bryan Keepers • Amelia Keith • Otto Kern • Diana and Andrew Kerwin • Brian Ketterman • Becky and Omar Khayum • Luke Kiebler • Maria Kiernan • Kim Owens • Edan and Hillary King • Jessica King • Matthew King • Richard Kizer • Diane and Emery Klein • Richard Knoll • Matt Knubowitz • J.V. Kolmer • Zeiva and Marc Konvisser • Kenneth Korotkin • Nicole and Rick Kovacs • Mona and Mike Kreadan • Rhoda and Murray Kupersmith • Elizabeth Mae Labny • Pascale Lacore • Lois and Mark Langberg • Sam Langberg • Chester Lantin • Carolyn and Rex Lanyi • Jordan Lanyi • Stephanie Lanyi • Brittany Lapin • Lloyd Laricy • Dan Le • Glorida and David Leader • Miriam and Mike Leary • Gerald Lebovits • Terran and Roger Leemis • Judith Leff • Bryna and Jeff Leib • Judith Leib • Roni Leibovitch • Fran and Cal Levey • Andrew and Jay Levin • Beverly and Allan Levin • Brett Levin • Rebecca and Michael Levy • Karen and Scott Lewis • Michelle Lewis • Sally Lewis • Rochelle and Art Lieberman • Martha Linblad • Jonny Linden • Lori and Carl Lipnik • Alan, Jean and Kristine Lipowski • Eva and Steve Lipton • Linda and Joseph Loduca • Karen London • Kathy Loper – Kathy Loper Events • Mark Lovdjieff • Carol Lowen • LPL Financial • Chelsea Lund • Christy Churchill Magas • Dorothy and Murray Mahlin • Bobbie and Jerry Malin • Michelle Malloy • Cori Malone • Kristin Mapstone • Beth and Steven Margolin • Holly Martines • Annie and Sam Mauch • Art Mauch • Catherine and Ryan McCarihan • Sean McCarihan • Charles and Thelma McCrobie • Betty and Carol McDonald • Joan McGirr • Katie McIntire • Sarah McIntire • Constance McKenna • Isha McKnight • Carol McNeill • Alicia Mearini • Phyllis and Jeffrey Meer • Marion and Richard Menczer • Dr. Marsel Mesulam • Miriam and Bruce Milen • Jackie and Myron Milgrom • Bobby Miller • Dan Miller • Wendy Miller • Harvey Millman • Ellen and Jerry Minkin Family Foundation • Emily Minns • Linda and Spenser Minns • Holly Minter • Amy Mitman • Paramy Mixaychareun • Maureen Mizwicki • Gail and Ira Mondry • Karen Monhardt • Barbara Monroe • Muriel and Bernie Moray • Darby Morhadt • Morris Business and Technology Center • Jessie and Robert Morrison • Karen Moss • Marilyn and Richard Moss • Sandra, Ronald, Wendy and Jeffrey Moss • Kathy Mullens • Ron Nadis • Gail and Bob Nathan • Marilyn Nathanson • Ilene Nemer • Natalie and Billy Newman • Scott Nietz • JoAnn and Terry Nosan • Laura Noveck • Brian O’Brien • Mary O‘Connor • John Ogawa • Robin and Mark Orechkin • Harriet and Greg Orley • Marcie and Rob Orley • OrthoCarolina • Norma and Alec Orzy • Allan Ostrow • Debbie Ostrow • Steven Ostrow • Catherine Palombi • Susie and Norm Pappas • Alan, Clare, Debbie, Joshua, and Leah Pasquesi • Barbara Patterna • Dr. Rebecca Pawlik • Angela Peifer • Shelley and Neil Perl • Judy and Chuck Perlow • Clara and Jacob Pesis • Peter Philips • Cindy and David Pinto • Isabel Plaza-Gallagher • Rhonda and Rob Pliskow • Sharee Pliskow • Meryl and Terry Podolsky • Mary Popelar • Theresa Popelar • Gail Posner • Judy and Ken Post • Kyle Poston • Linda and Rob Powers • Mimi and Larry Prussack • Linda Ragan • Rhonda and Gary Ran • Janet Randolf· Matthew Randolph • Mark Rastetter • Suzanne Raveney • Jason Reed • Joanna Reister • Stephen Riedner • Eunice and Milton Ring • Pam Riordan • Estelle Robinson • Jamie and Ben Robinson • Jude Robinson • Mili and Alejandro and Rodriguez • Dr. Emily Rogalski • Bill Rogers • Seth Rogers • Debby and Barry Rosen • Ann and David Rosenberg • Roz and Stephen Rosenblum • Cindee and Neal Rosenthal • Marla and David Rosman • Ann Ross • Kathy and Stuart Rotenberg • Milton Rotenberg • Sherri and Robert Rotenberg • Julie and Jamie Roth • Terri Roth • Wendy and Jeffrey Roth • Mindy and Bruce Ruben • Lynn and Harvey Rubin • Sandy and Bob Russman • Sevan Sahiner • Becky and Gary Sakwa • Dr. Neil Sakwa and Linda Taubman • Edna Saltzman • Dr. Dan and Amy Sapeika • Jordan Sasson • Rhonda and Steven Satovsky • Amy Schafer • Suzanne Schatz • Lori and David Schechter • Sheri and Chuck Schiff • Janis and Eric Schiffer • Dr. Daniel and Sara Schnaar • Judy and Joseph Schneider • Susie and Alvin Schoenberger • Nancy and Robert Schostak • Rebecca and Michael Schostak • Sybil Schreiber • Arthur Schwartz • Claire Schwartz • Selma and Jack Schwartz • Karen Scullion • Dana and Jim Selis • Seller’s Orthodontics • Margot Shapiro • Niki and Bob Shapiro • Steven Shapiro • Hillary and Randy Shaw • Miriam and Al Shaw • Robert Sheehan • Jack Shenkman Trust • Andrew Sherman • Dustin Sherman • Esther and Edward Sherman • Gail Sherman • Janet Sherman • Jordan Sherman • Jeffrey Sherman • Joyce and Larry Sherman • Harriet and Isadore Sherr • Paul Shevlin • Dr. HyungSub Shim • Jill Sider • Jordan Sider • Claudia, Douglas, Michael, Todd and Susie Sills – Sills Foundation • Adam Silver • Katie and John Silverstein • Karen and Keith Simmons • Judy Sklar • Cathy Slavik • Bretten Smith • Laura Smith • Susan Smith • Laurie and Steve Solomon • Rob Soltan • Jeanette Solway • Vicky and Jeff Solway • Susan Sosnick • Kathy Soumountha • Louise and Steve Spector • Linda and Dr. Alan Spigelman • Laura, Eliecer, Caryn, Carolina, and Irwin Srendi • Shana and Derek Staub • Lynn and Jay Staub • Rozzi Stein • Julia and Jordon Steinway • Julie and William Stern • Noah Stern • Sherri and Norton Stern • Debbie, Hailee, and Kristin Stevens • Liz and Scott Stevens – Camp Walden • Marge and Rick Stock • Robert Stone • Jeffrey Straayer • John Stratton • Judy and Stephen Strong • Elaine and Stephen Sturman • Rose and Harry Sultz • Eric Svandra • Fela and Leo Tabacinic · James Tan • Barbara, Howard and Steven Tapper • Ilene and David Techner • Debbie Tellschow • Temple Israel Clergy • Howard and Terry Tenebaum • Linda and Doug Thal • LeAnn Thieman • Kimberly Thornes • Majorie Thouvenin • Suzanne Tilghman • Carolyn and Larry Tisdale • Bruce Tobin • Denise and Michael Tobin • Lorraine Treen • Barb and Steve Tronstein • Leah and Richard Trosh • Jennifer and Adam Tschop • Linda Tucker • Deborah Tyner and Richard Herman • Esperanza Vallejo • Nish Vartabedian • Patrice Vaughn • Judy and Coleman Verona • Julie and Paul Verona • Fabian Villada • Sam Wainer • Sarah Wallace • Allison Walton • Lori and Michael Wayne • Majorie Weber • Ryan Weiner • Elaine and Lee Weinstein • Dr. Sandra Weintraub • Lisa and Gary Weisman • Becky and Cary Weitzman • Amy Werner • Linda Wetherbee • Dylan Whitehead • Christina Weineke • Julie and Marty Wiener • Howard Winitsky • Maryanne and Marv Winters • Joel Wisdo • Sarah Wisneski • Linda Wisotsky • Kris Witt • Michelle Wohlfeiler • Dan Wolf • Elaine and Mitch Wolf • Christine Worley • Jill Wright • Suzette Wynn • Xi Alpha Zeta (Beta Sigma Phi) • Cara Young • Cindee and Jeff Zabner • Shelley and Gary Zausmer • Anthony Zelig • Wendie Zepeda • Lisa Zorilla • Kay and Robert Zuckerberg •

 

We reached our goal of $50,000!

Jason on May 13, 2012

$50,000 Donated to the Cause – Thank You!

Papa and all his grandchildren + great grandchild!

Papa and all his grandchildren + great grandchild!

With great respect, humility and support, I am pleased to announce Run4Papa has OFFICIALLY reached the $50,000 goal toward PPA research! IN FACT, we are currently at $51,619 and rising!!!

I cannot thank you enough for ALL your help along this remarkable journey! This has been an overwhelming experience and I feel so proud and honored to have people who believed in this idea from the beginning and continued to spread the word over the past 300+ days. THE CAUSE has impacted countless people, patients and families in such a positive fashion. Papa’s desire to care for children for 50 years as a pediatrician coupled with his love of life is as much inspiration as anyone would ever want or need.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and our entire family…

Next stop? Great Wall of China Marathon!

5K for $5K RUN/WALK Challenge

Jason on April 30, 2012

 How can you turn $5 into $5000?

By having 1,000 people come together to donate $5 for Primary Progressive Aphasia Research. With less than 20 days to go to the Great Wall of China Marathon, I am only $5,000 from my goal of $50,000, 100% of which will go to research for PPA.

With your $5 donation to Run4Papa, you can turn my 5K into $5K! That’s one cup of coffee at your local Starbucks.

I will host five 5K RUN/WALKS every other day around some of  Queen City’s most recognizable areas in Charlotte until the remaining $5K has been raised. ANYONE and EVERYONE-RUNNERS, WALKERS, KIDS, PETS- are welcome to participate “Forrest Gump Style” (show up and run) to help raise awareness for THE CAUSE. The more the merrier!

Schedule: Rain or Shine. No Cost. Just Show up!

Wednesday May 2th, 6:30PM – Little Sugar Creek GreenwayThe Greenway, 1908 East Blvd, Start of Route(Run/Walk the Greenway)

Friday May 4th, 6:30PM – Freedom Park by the bridge surrounding the water (Run/Walk around the water and through the trails in the park)

Sunday May 6th, 2:00PM – Southpark Mall in front of the amphitheater near Dick’s Sporting Goods (Run/Walk around the outside of the mall – loads of foot traffic!)

Tuesday May 8th, 6:30PM – Corner of S. Tryon and Trade St. (Run/Walk up and down S. Tryon for 5K creating a massive buzz 2nd-7th street, up one side back the other, should be unreal!)

Thursday May 10th, 6:30PM – White Water Center by the Cafe (Run/Walk through the trails and then having drinks outside afterwards)

With awareness comes donations, with donations comes research, with research comes treatment, and with treatment comes a cure.  -Jason F. Boschan

 

30 Days to Go!

Jason on April 18, 2012

Running For Papa – 30 Days to Go!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Dear Friends,

With 30 days remaining and $44,000 contributed, I thank you for every dollar raised so far. WE NEED YOUR HELP to reach our goal of $50,000! As “Papa” has always selflessly and willingly offered his time and care to children over the past 50+ years,  this is our opportunity to give back!

We want to take this opportunity to update you on the Run4Papa campaign to raise funds for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) research.  As you may know, I am running the Great Wall of China Marathon on behalf of his grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman, and EVERYONE who is battling PPA. PPA is a form of dementia wherein people lose the ability to communicate and comprehend language over time.

Over the past 300 days, I have been training and running races in 9 different states, from the sunset cliffs in San Diego to the mountains in Denver through our nation’s Capital and in water along the lakes of Michigan. All these roads are leading him to the Great Wall of China. He has run 5K’s, 8K’s, 10K’s, Half Marathons, Mud Runs, and even a Tower Race where he Hustled up the Hancock(climbing 94 Flights of stairs). Jason’s unorthodox training methods have logged him over 500 miles for THE CAUSE.

As a result of this extraordinary journey, I ran side-by-side with and has been endorsed by the most prolific American Marathoner in history, Bill Rodgers, 4-time winner of the NYC and Boston Marathons. He has partnered with the #1 PPA research faciilty in the world –Northwestern University’s Cognitive Neurolgy and Alzheimer’s Disease Center — and is supported by the man who first identified PPA, Dr. Marsel Mesulam.

This campaign has had a local, national and international impact on patients and families around the world. We have received over 1,000 individual contributions from California to Florida as well as from the UK to New Zealand. On top of that, sponsors continue to join Run4Papa in an ongoing effort to create awareness of this debilitating disease.

100% of ALL donations will go directly to fund research and are fully tax-deductible.

Sincerely,

Jason

[email protected]

“I can probably say no one in the world has done so much to bring awareness to PPA research as you have done in the last 5 months.”     – Kevin Connolly, Northwestern CNADC employee, Chicago, IL

Back to Top

2012 Northwestern CNADC PPA Conference

Jason on March 29, 2012

One Voice: Caring for EVERYONE with PPA

The 2012 CNADC PPA Caregiver Conference was an important day for those of us with loved one’s battling PPA. We had the sharpest minds in the field educating us on how to help those we love the most. As the morning kicked off, my vending booth was prominently located and positioned side-by-side CNADC’s to help promote the Run4Papa campaign. My booth had 3 main exhibits: 1. A personal letter of endorsement from Dr. Marsel Mesulam 2. A computer with Run4Papa.com pulled up for attendees to view and learn more about THE CAUSE 3. The newly launched Running Shirt – an opportunity for EVERYONE battling PPA to have their loved one’s name on the back of my shirt for the Great Wall of China Marathon – a BIG HIT!

The conference exposure was heart-warming because I had the pleasure of meeting caregivers whose loved one’s were diagnosed with PPA. While there were plenty of new names and faces, there were plenty of people attending that were following THE CAUSE online through social media like Facebook and Twitter. On top of all that, the most emotional conversations (if I am allowed to be biased) took place when speaking with patients battling PPA, all of whom were enthusiastically encouraging the efforts of the Run4Papa campaign.

With 324 attendees, the conference was tailored to family caregivers as well as health care professionals. Dr. Marsel Mesulam, Director of the CNADC and the man who first identified PPA, graciously welcomed everyone to the conference. Following his introduction, a lecture on the state of PPA research and treatment by Northwestern physician and assistant professor of geriatrics was delivered by Dr. Diana Kerwin. Our keynote address on “Behaviors, Language and Communication” was presented by Dr. Geri Hall (from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix), who has lectured and published widely on behavioral interventions and communication strategies in dementia, specifically PPA. The morning session ended with an interactive Q & A session from a panel of doctors and PPA caregivers. This opportunity provided audience members the ability to ask questions ranging from medical opinions, to family member reactions about PPA as well as expectations down the line for caregivers. When all the questions had been asked and answered, we broke for lunch and gave attendees more time to mingle amongst the vendors at the conference.

During the afternoon, the CNADC team organized 12 different breakout sessions for members to attend. Here were some of the choices:

a) Newly Diagnosed, Now What? b) Understanding Genetics in PPA c) Responding to Behavior and Personality Changes in PPA d) When is it Time? Identifying Options and Making Transitions for Care.

My parents split the meetings above while I attended the Support for Family Caregivers and Exploring Creative Art Therapies sessions. The caregiver session was unbelievably emotional because everyone shared their unique personal story. In the same respect, it was extremely helpful listening to everyone and learning how each person/family copes and adjusts to an ever-changing lifestyle of caregiving. Even though this was my first caregiver group experience, I could see the instant impact our dialogue was having on the faces around the table. One caregiver whose wife was diagnosed with PPA within the past couple years said, “I didn’t think I needed to come here before, because to be frank, I was in denial about my wife. This year, I realized that was a mistake. I will continue to come every year moving forward and attend the support groups for help and advice in the future.”

Similarly, the creative art therapy session was equally informative yet surprisingly entertaining. Through hands-on classroom activities, we learned how art, music and movement therapy help people diagnosed with PPA by maintaining their sensory and motor skills. The behaviors included expressing our inner thoughts by drawing pictures on paper, using hand gestures to communicate our emotions, and singing along to improvised songs instructing us to repeat specific lyrics.

As the breakout sessions finished, everyone headed back to the lecture hall for the conclusion of the conference. My What would you do for THE CAUSE? video was being shown and looped for roughly 15 mins on the big screen as everyone took their seats. Dr. Jennifer Medina concluded the day with her speech on “Stress and Caregiving: Mindfulness as a Coping Tool.”

I was so proud to share this day with my parents, family caregivers, patients, experts in the field-and of course-the CNADC team. The conference is an excellent resource for families and people fighting against PPA who want to be a part of a special team dedicated to finding treatment and a cure for this brutal disease.

If you couldn’t make it this year for whatever the reasons, please don’t miss it 364 days from now.

Back to Top

In Honor of

Jason on March 23, 2012

Want your loved one’s name on my running shirt?

 

Here is your chance to make a contribution and have your loved one’s name placed on the back of my running shirt in honor of their battle against PPA during the Great Wall of China Marathon in 2012.

For special dedication, go to: PPA Research and Education Fund – Run4papa

  • Please reference “Running Shirt Campaign” in comments section – bottom of page 2 on donation site.

Thank you for your support!

National PPA Conference

Jason on March 22, 2012

 An Average Person Doing Extraordinary Things

 2012 Annual PPA Conference – Saturday, March 24th

Thorne Auditorium, Rubloff Building
375 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Come out this weekend and help Support the Journey to raise awareness for all those battling PPA everyday!

Click on Event Itinerary

Jason Boschan has partnered with the CNADC to raise funds in support of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) research. Jason’s grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman, a pediatrician for 50+ years, was diagnosed with PPA, a dementia that makes a person progressively lose the ability to communicate and comprehend language, in 2009.

Jason is running the Great Wall of China Marathon in May 2012 to honor his grandfather and EVERYONE battling PPA. The marathon is very exclusive and includes steep inclines that total over 5,000 steps. It is the equivalent of running up and down the Hancock Building & Willis Tower, and then taking a round trip between the Chicago and Evanston campuses of Northwestern University.

Jason has trained and run races in 9 states to prepare for the Great Wall of China Marathon. This campaign has helped bring awareness to PPA research and there have been over 360 individuals who have donated to the cause.

2012 Northwestern CNADC Fundraiser

Jason on February 25, 2012

A Night of Awareness in the Windy City

Myself with Dr. Marsel Mesulam, Director of Northwestern CNADC and man who first identified PPA.

Leaving 70 degree weather behind in Charlotte, North Carolina and heading up north to the Windy City of 25 degrees, blistering winds and snow may not sound ideal on paper; however, when such a tremendous group of people come together for a great cause like this one, it’s a no brainer!

The goal? To get a bunch of local Chicago-ans and friends together in one room to support THE CAUSE by raising awareness and funds for the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center (CNADC), the #1 research facility in the world for PPA research. Thanks to Kevin Connolly and his wonderful team at CNADC, we brought in over 100+ guests for this event. Friends came in the cold to support this journey and our host, Rock Bottom Brewery, did a fantastic job of keeping people’s glasses and bellies full the entire evening.

Not only did this fundraiser bring a hefty amount of money, but we had a multitude of activities taking place throughout including a PPA video (made in my hometown of Charlotte), a silent auction and a raffle featuring prizes local Chicago-ans took full advantage of.

We had the distinct honor of meeting Dr. Marsel Mesulam, the doctor who first identified PPA and Director of the CNADC medical department along with his wife Dr. Sandra Weintraub, a renowned doctor with a PhD in NeuroPsychology . We had the pleasure of meeting patients who had been diagnosed with PPA who were proud of the work being down with this campaign along with their inspirational family members fighting everyday for more awareness and treatment for THE CAUSE.  We had friends and family that lived in Chicago show-up as well as people whom have been following this cause from Day 1. I was thrilled to finally meet them in person! On top of that, there were several people who ran The Great Wall of China Half and Full Marathon in attendance. You better believe I was picking their brains for stories, advice and feedback about the run ahead!

Through the diligent work of the CNADC team, 6 amazing packages were assembled for the silent auction. Moreover, a raffle was held at the end of the evening giving away prizes from local Chicago vendors and sponsors.

Lori Gapinski, one of many people attending the event remarked, “Had a wonderful time tonight at the fundraiser. Such good people and all our best to Jason. Thank you for all that you are doing! Good Luck on Sunday and May 19th! We all will be thinking of you as you are doing such a wonderful thing for the people that are suffering with PPA and the loved ones surrounding them.”

You never know how an event is going to come together when you start from scratch, but I think it is fair to say, we were blown away by the turnout and support last night. Without a doubt, the CNADC fundraiser delivered BIG-TIME!

With the fundraiser being a massive success across the board, we can now focus on the race ahead – Hustling up the Hancock building against 4,000 other competitors.

94 Flights. 1,632 steps await. Wouldn’t have it any other way!

To see more photos, go to: Hustle up the Hancock

To watch the speeches, go to: CNADC and Run4Papa Speeches

Back to Top