Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson's Research Cites Work of Distinguised Hartman Grantees

Honors Susan Lucci with The Hartman Philanthropic Leadership Award

Photos by Bob Giglione, Judith Walker and Christine Conniff Sheahan

Click to see photos from event

The Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research held their 7th Annual Cure for Sure Dinner and press conference to recognize the many people who have helped Father Tom raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and acknowledge those working towards finding a cure. At the press conference, scientists who received grants from the Hartman Foundation presented their newest developments.

David Eidelberg, M.D. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research North Shore-LIJ Health System (Hartman Foundation Executive Scientific Advisor; Serge Przedborski, M.D., Ph.D., Columbia University Medical Center; Irina Gazaryan, Ph.D., Winifred Masterson Burke Medical Research Institute; David C. Chan, M.D., Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; D. James Surmeier, Ph.D., Northwestern University; Thomas Schwarz, Ph.D., Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School; Michael Kaplitt, M.D., Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University and Andrew Feigin, M.D., Feinstein Institute for Medical Research of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Dr. Eidelberg moderated the press conference and shared his thoughts: “The thread that connects all of us scientists is the common goal we share to move the field of Parkinson’s research forward. What we have been able to accomplish by this growing national umbrella of collaborators is unique. Working together we are able to capitalize on years of expertise and neuroscience, take the ideas of many years of deep thought, cultivation and hours of research and push the envelope to solve the problems of Parkinson’s disease.”

Father Tom acknowledged the doctors, saying “All I did was get these wonderful and brilliant people together from different faiths, and invited them to be a part of this challenging and important venture.”

The dinner was kicked off with a guest performance by Multi-Grammy award winning artist Jimmy Webb who performed several of his greatest hits. The Hartman Philanthropic Leadership Award was presented by Laura Savini, vice president and on-air host of WLIW, to Susan Lucci, Emmy award-winning actress, for her work in raising awareness of the disease and her support for finding a cure. Louis DeCaro, an art teacher who suffers from Parkinson’s, received the Father Tom’s Spirit Award. The Spirit award is given to an individual with Parkinson’s who courageously continues to promote the fight to find a cure for this debilitating disease. DeCaro works not only to educate more people about the disease, but does what he can to help others find a cure by donating all the money he makes from his paintings to Parkinson’s research. The Hartman Corporation of the Year honoree was Joseph R. Ficalora, chairman, president and CEO of New York Community Bancorp, Inc.

Father Tom established the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Inc. in 2004, three years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. “It became clear to me that God was inviting humanity to find the cure,” said Father Tom. “With God, prayer, good science and money, the cure can be found.”

The Foundation seeks to provide grants for the newest and most innovative scientific projects which offer the best hope for the advancement and development of a cure. Scientists believe that with continued funding for research, a cure for Parkinson’s can be found within 10 years. This is a time frame affirmed by top officials of the National Institutes of Health in testimony before Congress.