Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation
The Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation (OPWF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Lane County, Oregon. Our mission is to create a supportive and empowering community for individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregivers, enhancing their quality of life through resources, support, exercise, and opportunities for growth. We are dedicated to helping our members move better and feel better.
OPWF was founded by Lori B. Havas, a certified Parkinson’s fitness specialist and ACSM-certified exercise physiologist. Lori has been working with people with Parkinson’s disease in the Eugene area since 2010. Read more about Lori on our about page.
Your gift will make a difference
Lane County needs an exercise facility and the necessary equipment to address the special needs for people with Parkinson’s disease. Your gift will help us to open a gym and serve the growing need to maintain mobility and life engagement.
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Serving a critical need—with much room to grow
The Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation currently serves 50 warriors each week, a fraction of approximately 1,000 people in Lane County diagnosed with Parkinson’s. A 2022 Parkinson’s Foundation-backed study reveals that nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year in the U.S. This represents a steep 50% increase from the previously estimated rate of 60,000 diagnoses annually.
Currently, there is growing interest in our classes (in person and on Zoom). It’s apparent the need is growing and more people will benefit from our intensive exercise programs.
Our current gym has changed ownership and we’ve been requested to move. In short, we need a gym and associated staffing.
The Oregon Parkinson’s Warriors Foundation was established in May 2022, to address the growing need and take on the community task of supporting those with Parkinson’s disease.
The Foundation’s current goals are to open a Parkinson’s dedicated gym in 2024 which will provide the opportunities to add classes such as: Yoga for Parkinson’s, Pilates for Parkinson’s, as well as cycling, dance, drumming, and choir specifically to meet the needs of the members in our community dealing with PD, as well as
- Providing scholarships and discounts for those who experience financial barriers
- Training, developing, and inspiring a cadre of exercise professionals trained to lead science-based classes
- Creating a volunteer program to assist and support our warriors during classes
- Expanding our Parkinson’s care-partner support group to ease burdens on families while boosting awareness and participation