UK HealthCare

Kentucky Cities Face Off to Support Parkinson's Disease

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2013) -- Teams representing Lexington and Louisville will face off on Sept. 18 in a battle of wits tonight to support Parkinson’s Disease research, education and clinical programs in the annual Trivia Bowl for Parkinson's. The 2013 event includes dueling charity events in which teams of six will compete for the 2013 Horseshoe Cup Trophy for the winning teams in each city.

The Trivia Bowl is a fun and competitive competition among the teams that attend the event. Participants in Lexington will be competing at the Cellar Bar and Grille, 3256 Landsdowne Drive, while the Louisville Trivia Bowl will be held at the Mellow Mushroom, 3920 Shelbyville Road, St. Matthews. Both matches begin at 7:30 p.m.

The two locations will be working to see who can raise the most funds for each of their sponsored research organizations. For those competing in Lexington, proceeds will be donated to UK's Kentucky Neuroscience Institute which performs Parkinson’s disease research and offers education and clinical programs. For Louisville, proceeds will be donated to the Parkinson’s Support Center of Kentuckiana, whose mission is to provide support services to improve the quality of life for the Parkinson’s community.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder. It occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. It results in mobility issues, work issues, and a lower quality of life and probably a shorter life span. The main contact for this year's Parkinson's Trivia Bowl, Chris Meng, has a personal interest in the continuing research and improvement of life for those diagnosed with this disease. Diagnosed in 2002, Meng started raising money for Parkinson’s Disease six years ago when he lived in Baltimore.

"The good is that I have discovered a new family of fellow PWP [People with Parkinson’s disease] and have made many good friends who can relate,” said Meng of how living with Parkinson’s Disease has directly related to his way of life.

 In 2009, Meng moved to Lexington and started the competition in Lexington and Louisville. As the senior investment manager for Community Trust and Investment Company, Meng now works to organize and act as one of the main sponsors for the annual Parkinson's Trivia Bowl event.

For those interested in helping with the charity event, contact Chris Meng at (513) 503-8102 or chrismeng6@gmail.com. The donation of giveaways are also welcomed. 

The events both feature a general raffle, and an additional UK Basketball ticket raffle for those competing in Lexington.

The cost for participating in this year's Trivia Bowl is $100 per team of 6 contestants. Each member of the team gets the 2013 Trivia Bowl for Parkinson’s T-shirt and six general raffle rickets. Plus, the opportunity to win the 2013 Horseshoe Cup Trophy for the winning teams in each city.

Registration is available at http://triviabowls.eventbrite.com.