Opening Ceremony

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

The Opening Ceremony of the World Parkinson Congress (WPC) brought together more than 2,000 people to participate in the first-ever global meeting on Parkinson's disease to include clinicians, researchers, allied health professionals, people with Parkinson's and caregivers.

The Opening Ceremony began with a welcome address by Dr. Stanley Fahn, WPC Chair. Dr. Fahn was joined on stage by: Michael J. Fox, actor, advocate and founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; Dr. Oliver Sacks, world-renowned neurologist and the honorary chair of the WPC Creativity & PD subcommittee; Mary Baker, President of the European Parkinson's Disease Association and a member of the WPC Steering Committee; and Melanie Maar, a professional dancer and choreographer who learned about Parkinson's from her father who is living with the disease. The audience also had the pleasure of viewing a special message sent by video from the NIH Director, Dr. Elias Zerhouni.

Throughout the five days, the WPC drew 3,161 registrants from more than 50 countries. More than 1,800 registrants were medical professionals, with 1,100 being people with Parkinson's and caregivers. The remaining attendees were exhibitors, members of the media, and guests of attendees.

Opening ceremony stage

Dr. Stanley Fahn, WPC Chair. To view Dr. Fahn's Power Point presentation click here.

Michael J. Fox, Actor, advocate and founder of Michael J. Fox
Foundation for Parkinson's Research welcomed the audience.
Click here to read his remarks posted on his foundation's website.

Dr. Oliver Sacks, WPC Creativity & PD Subcommittee Honorary
Chair greeted the audience and encouraged everyone to actively
particpate in the creative side of the WPC. Learn more about
Dr. Sacks here.

	Mary Baker, M.B.E., WPC Steering Committee member and President of the European Parkinson's Disease Association. Click here to learn more about The Global Declaration on PD which was launched in December 2003 in Mumbai, India.
Melanie Maar, professional dancer and choreographer performed "Off and On" - A Dance Inspired by Restrictions to wrap-up the ceremony. To learn more about Ms. Maar and how her father inspired her to create this dance piece, please click here.

The opening ceremony was followed by a reception in the exhibit hall where the Creativity & Parkinson's and History of Parkinson's Exhibits were open. Attendees also had the opportunity to mingle with each other while meeting with the more than 60 corporate and non-corporate exhibitors who had booths at the WPC.


Du Can Chan, one of the artists whose work was selected for display at the WPC, stood near his photograph, entitled "Another Man's Treasure."	"Yellow Birds" by Eduard Mikkelsen