About the PUW > Carol Walton, Executive Director
Carol’s dedication to advocacy started in 1981 when her father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It was a challenging time for her and her family. She helped care for him and began to attend support groups to educate herself about this devastating disease. Her father passed away in 1993 after spending 5 years in a convalescent home. Now she is dedicated to finding a cure for this disease so others do not suffer as her father did.
In 1994 Carol attended a Parkinson’s Action Network Public Policy Forum in Washington, DC, and became an advocate for research. She spent a lot of time walking the halls of Congress—and helped to get the Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Research Act passed in 1997. During that forum she met Margaret and Martin Tuchman who were also advocates. They offered Carol the opportunity to head their foundation. In 1999 the Tuchman’s moved her from California to New Jersey to start The Parkinson Alliance.
The Parkinson Alliance is committed to raising funds for the most promising Parkinson’s disease research that will help find the cure for Parkinson’s. The Parkinson Alliance is also the umbrella organization responsible for the largest grassroots event in the country, the Parkinson’s Unity Walk and Team Parkinson, a fundraising team that is an official charity of the Los Angeles Marathon.