LEXINGTON, KY – The Rotary Club of Lexington will hold a weekly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23, at The Mane on Main, Chase Bank building on Main St. The guest speaker is Laura Soldato, Executive Director, Bluegrass Parkinson’s Alliance.
This meeting will also be on Zoom. For the Zoom link please email, trafton@rotarylexky.org.
If you would like to have lunch, please contact Jenny@rotarylexky.org to reserve your meal.
Laura Soldato, executive director of the Bluegrass Parkinson’s Alliance. Laura has served in this role since October of 2019, navigating the fulfillment of the BPA’s mission to create a community of hope and encouragement by providing resources and support services to those affected by Parkinson’s Disease. Laura oversees event planning, fundraising and grant writing for the BPA.
The BPA is the oldest organization of its kind in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Formerly the Lexington Area Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, the BPA was created in the 1970s, as at that time there were no support groups, little information was readily available about Parkinson’s Disease, and there were no resources for care partners.
From a small but dedicated group of twelve members in 1979, the BPA had grown to nearly 500 members in 2020. Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington has remained the group’s home for the past 40-plus years. In 2019, BPA hired our speaker today as its first employee. Nearly all activities are still organized and planned by dedicated volunteers so that 100% of all donations to BPA go to help the people with Parkinson’s and their care partners. Donations to BPA allow for nearly all programs to be offered free to members.
Before serving as Executive Director of the BPA, Laura was the Director of Development for Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary School. Before entering the fields of development and marketing, Laura taught high school in both Chicago and Oklahoma City. She earned her BA in Government & Journalism in 2002 and her Master of Education in 2004, both from the University of Notre Dame. A local girl, she grew up in Winchester, Kentucky and graduated from Lexington Catholic High School.
Because Kentucky is home to more than 11,000 Parkinson’s patients, the BPA has a large task in fulfilling its mission. The most difficult part is simply finding those newly diagnosed and encouraging them to use the free resources and education seminars BPA provides. Laura loves interacting with BPA members to learn how to best serve the Parkinson’s Community in Kentucky. Laura’s presentation today will not only educate Rotarians on Parkinson’s Disease, but also provide insight on all that BPA does to help members slow the progression of and manage this disease.