YumaBev becomes the Top Banana

For the last couple of years, I have been attending our local Parkinson's Support Group meeting. I am the youngest member and the silliest one, too. In January, our current leader, Greg, decided to step down and asked me to take over the group. I said yes and within an hour or so, all the official paperwork was done. So, now I was the Top Banana and even had the costume to prove it.

February was my first official meeting and mostly I just gave people information about upcoming seminars, what to do if you have to go to the hospital, the dreaded "exercise is best" talk and threw in some laughs as well. 

NPF's Aware in Care Hospital Kit

At the March meeting, I played my before and after DBS videos and we all sang along to my song parody called Winter Wondering. 

I try to keep the meetings upbeat and informative; this time handing out flyers for a little known benefit that might help some of our Parkies who are Veterans, and another about a USB Medical Bracelet from the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. 

I'm hoping to get the Mayor of Yuma to come to our April meeting and personally bring the Parkinson's Awareness Month Proclamation. And after that, who knows. Most of our members will be heading back north soon, but the rest of us will find something to do over the long hot Summer. 

You can find all my videos on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ParkinsonsHumor

Clicking on the colored words will open a new window and take you to a different story or link.

Yuma Arizona Proclaims April as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month

On Monday, April 2nd, 2012, both the Yuma County Board of Supervisors and the City of Yuma proclaimed April as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month.  I wish I could say I was the architect, but I wasn't.  I sent emails to everyone, but my local Parkie friend Greg Gardner made it happen.  

City of Yuma Proclamation

Greg is our local Support Group leader and has been a Yuman for many, many years.  He worked in local radio before his forced "retirement" and knows every politician in our community.  I, on the other hand, am a fairly recent Yuman and until last Monday, had never met any of our local politicos.


The Board of Supervisor's met at 9 am and Greg and I received the official Proclamation together.

Greg is the tall man in yellow shirt next to me

Our support group was meeting at Noon and Mayor Alan Krieger of Yuma joined us for lunch and officially presented the City's Proclamation.  

Greg, Mayor Krieger and Yuma Bev 

After reading the Proclamation, Greg and the Mayor turned to me and said we'd like to present this Proclamation to Bev Ribaudo, for all the work she does for Parkinson's.  It was an emotional moment for me and I could barely squeak out "Thank you".

Mayor Krieger and Yuma Bev

Board member Lenore Stuart also joined us for lunch and presented the County Proclamation to our Group.

Greg and BOS member Lenore Stuart

We had a great lunch and the best desserts and Greg did the humor.  He told the Board of Supervisor's that the reason he was wearing yellow was because he was the top banana of our Group.

Greg Gardner and Yuma Bev with Proclamation

All in all, it was a great day!

Thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is just one of a hundred stories in my book, Parkinson's Humor - Funny Stories about My Life with Parkinson's Disease. Please consider purchasing a copy from your favorite online book seller (There are links on my website YumaBev.com). Thank you and have a Happy Parkie Day!