TORONTO — ET Toronto’s second annual fundraiser, Shake it Up, is set for May 8 at St. Lawrence Hall.
Funds raised from the event will be donated to the Movement Disorders Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital, earmarked for awareness and research into essential tremor (ET), a life-altering condition, often inherited, that causes involuntary shaking of the hands, head and voice.
Miriam Freedman, 74, said she first became involved in the organization, which has 100 groups in the United States, when she read an article in a Florida newspaper.
“I called them, because since I was in my 20s, I noticed that my hand would shake, and sometimes, my head shakes without me realizing it.”
ET, is disruptive, she said, but not life threatening. “It does make daily activities such as writing a letter, dressing and eating a source of frustration and embarrassment. It is a problem that we want to publicize.”
The ET Toronto group, recently created by Cecilia Ronderos, who suffers with ET, is the first group in Canada, said Freedman. “Our meetings provide a valuable forum for people with ET to discuss their problems, understand the latest research and share strategies for coping with this disease.
“People feel better knowing that they are not alone,” she said.
The fundraiser features violinist Moshe Hammer, a soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
For information, call 416-414-1511.
