Fun for everyone and supporting a good cause: On Saturday, 2 September 2017, starting at 11:00, there will be several giant public pillow fights in the Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes in Luxembourg city centre.
The event is being held as a whimsical statement to illustrate the seriousness of Parkinson’s disease and the necessity to continue researching its causes. The 14 Rotary Clubs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have supported research in this field for many years, and were actively involved in organising the campaign. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation, the Rotarians will be selling pieces of a possibly record-breaking 100 metre “Baamkuch” layer cake. The proceeds from the campaign will go to the National Centre of Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD). Scientists at NCER-PD are researching new methods for the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of Parkinson’s disease. The event is being co-organised by the Rotary Clubs Luxembourg, NCER-PD and the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg.
Those who have always felt the urge to really send those feathers flying will be in their element at this grand Pillow Fight. Everyone, of all ages, can lay into each other with their pillows. And if you really feel like it, you can even turn up in pyjamas or an extravagant costume. While this is all in fun, it is equally a symbol of the fight that many in Luxembourg are waging every day against Parkinson’s disease: the afflicted, their families, doctors and nurses, researchers and many more. “We are proud to be organising this event in Luxembourg together with the Rotary Club and LCSB,” said Prof. Dr. Rejko Krüger, head of NCER-PD and a neurologist at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL). “From the proceeds, we will be funding a project to research the genetic causes of Parkinson’s.”
As a physician and researcher, Krüger knows the situation of Parkinson’s patients well. “Treatment of this disease has improved considerably in recent years, but there is still a lot to do,” Krüger said. One of the biggest problems so far is that there are hardly any patient-specific therapies. The disease can be triggered by any number of different genetic or external factors. “So, one person’s Parkinson’s differs from another’s,” Krüger continued. “Only once we have understood the diversity of causes, we will be able to work on developing therapies that take into account the patient’s personal situation. The project that will be funded by the proceeds from this event is another important component in this.”
A major contribution to hosting the event, and thus financially supporting the research project, is coming from the 850 members of the Rotary Club Luxembourg. “We have been supporting biomedical research in Luxembourg for many years already,” said Constant Infalt, Country Chair and Luxembourg representative of the District Governor. “With the Pillow Fight and the sale of our impressive 100-metre Baamkuch, we want to generate an especially effective public incentive.” Incidentally, anyone hoping to grab a piece of this uniquely Luxembourgish delight should reserve one online now (https://www.weezevent.com/pillow-fight-hope4parkinson). The merry mêlée will be balanced by an equally serious side: at information booths, scientists will be sharing information about the significance of Parkinson’s disease, current approaches to treatment and the state of research, and will give visitors of all ages the chance to do their own experiments to discover how the disease is researched.
More information about the Pillow Fight: VIPs from politics and society, interested individuals, and teams of families, companies or friends are called upon to take part in the friendly furore. You can find the full programme and rules for participation at http://pillowfight.lu
