10.14 YOPD-CON

The 1st ever YOPD-CON was a HUGE success. An event host be the APDA NW chapter. The planning committee was mostly made of our members. It was a 2-day event. On Saturday attendees had a range of social activities to choose from. I took a group for a lovely stroll around Seaward Park and to the obligatory Taco Bus. Others played pickleball in Greenlake hosted by Whitney. And even more stayed at the hotel and enjoyed a journaling and painting session and there was even a drum circle to get you blood pumping. That evening everyone came together for a Happy Hour Welcome party. WE mingled and met many new friends. The evening went on late into the might with karaoke and sing along.  Sunday was a full day of learning all kind of helpful things to fight YOPD!  In each session people were engaged and fed off the positive energy of others. As the sessions ended people lingered asking many more questions than there was time for. We had the Parkinsons Fitness Project, several MDS Dr from across the region, financial planners, and panels of people living everyday with YOPD. The final session of the day was an ASK the MDS ANYTHING. Where all of the medical professionals sat up on stage and fielded questions from over 100 attendees. We rapid fired questions at them 1 after another. No one was shy at this point and many hands were raised after each question. The conference ended almost an hour later than scheduled as no one wanted to it to be over. The committee held a wrap up meeting a few days later and discussed all the feedback we had gotten and things we wanted to do better at next YOPD-CON.