myGivmo

The Seacoast Parkinsons Community Project (SPCP)

Finding My Way with Parkinson’s

By Dan Tobin, founder of the Seacoast Parkinson’s Community Project

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2018. It came as a shock because I had done such a good job of ignoring my intensifying tremor. But I could no longer ignore the fact that I was regularly falling asleep in Zoom meetings in my job as publisher at an educational press. After getting the diagnosis I resigned from the position I had held for 15 years. Now what?

I found a top-notch movement disorder neurologist in Boston and began taking medications. I also joined every class, group, and presentation I could find in the Seacoast, NH area. It didn’t take me long to discover a powerful truth: the Parkinson’s drugs were good; the exercise and social connections were better—life-changing in fact. I met incredible people with the disease as well as people treating the disease. The experiences boosted my energy, optimism, and self-confidence.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that several studies have found that exercise can stop the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms in ways that no medication can. What did surprise me was how much difficulty people were having finding out about all the wonderful services available in our area for families dealing with Parkinson’s.

So, I launched the first-ever Seacoast Parkinson’s Wellness Expo in 2025. To my surprise, 150 people showed up.

The Seacoast Parkinsons Community Project (SPCP)

by Annie's Angels Memorial Fund

$2,500.00 raised

$10,000 goal • 3 Donations

25.0%

Recent Donations

$500.00Lucy Natkiel16 days ago

$1,000.00Senior Helpers16 days ago

$1,000.00Northeast Rehab16 days ago

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How One Event Launched a Community Movement

My vision for the Expo was to spark motivation and to get people with Parkinson’s out of their homes to try an activity. The disease has an insidious way of making us passive. It makes us lethargic, soft spoken (literally), shaky.

We designed a unique event where motivation and enthusiasm triumphed over passivity. Instead of lectures and PowerPoints, attendees were invited to try a series of demo classes offering everything from boxing and Tai Chi to yoga and art classes. The results went far beyond expectations in terms of numbers, but it also had that “buzz.” It was the sound of people coming together and drawing energy from the group experience.

I’ve been fortunate to have met wonderful people along the way who are helping me build not just future annual Expos, but a community-wide movement. This is just the beginning for SPCP and our partners at the Annie’s Angels Memorial Fund. We’re developing plans for new classes, social events and excursions, and new publications. All underscored by a sense of optimism, joy, and collaboration.