On April 12, students at the University of Georgia (UGA) will host their 4th Annual Pancakes for Parkinson’s event in support of Team Fox. As the committee enters their final week of preparation, we took some time to check in with senior Brittany Truitt, who is once again helping to lead the school’s efforts.
How did Pancakes for Parkinson’s (P4P) first get its start at UGA?
Pancakes for Parkinson’s was started in 2010 by India Pender, the former president of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Organization (UNO). India’s grandfather had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s 18 years prior and she was inspired to find a way to contribute to the Parkinson’s community. While planning the event, India’s other grandfather was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s, so the effort became even more important to her.
The event was modeled after the University of Virginia’s annual fundraiser with the idea that UNO could also establish a similar, annual breakfast in Athens. We decided to host P4P on G-Day, the annual UGA spring scrimmage football game, because it draws a large crowd to the campus. Conveniently, our event venue is also directly next to the stadium.
Tell us about this year’s event.
We’ll be holding this year’s Pancakes event on Saturday, April 12 from 9-1PM in the Memorial Hall Ballroom on campus. We charge $5 for all you can eat pancakes and have toppings generously donated from Earth Fare and coffee from Jittery Joes. Throughout the whole morning, there will be live entertainment ranging from guitarists and acapella groups to ballroom dancing demonstrations, which makes for the perfect family-friendly activity prior to the football game!
This year, our Pancakes committee is led by philanthropy chair Leah Caplan, and because this is my fourth year working with P4P, I am also helping her lead the committee. This event is completely student-organized and relies a lot on the work of UNO’s members. We usually begin working on planning in December and plan all the way up until April.
What has been the most enjoyable part of UGA’s Pancakes efforts thus far?
In the past three years we have raised almost $10,000 to help fund Parkinson’s research, and we love the support we get from local businesses that donate food and money. One of the greatest parts about P4P is how it shows the community that there is support for those living with Parkinson’s disease. We love hearing from our community members just how much it means that a group of students continually dedicates their time to this wonderful cause. This year, we hope to bring in more members from the Athens Parkinson’s Support Group by offering complimentary tickets.
For more information on how to attend or support UGA’s Pancakes event, visit their event Facebook page. To make a donation towards UGA’s efforts, visit their Team Fox page.
