Janet Reno Attends Parkinson Foundation Fundraiser In Miami
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Former U.S. Attorney General and Miami-Dade State Attorney Janet Reno took part in a fundraising walk for the National Parkinson Foundation early Sunday morning in Downtown Miami.
Nominated by Bill Clinton in February 1993, Reno was confirmed as the nation's first female Attorney General in March of that year. In 1995 she announced that she suffered from Parkinson's disease.
During Sunday's walk, two teams walked in her honor. One group organized by John Kozyak has raised nearly $20,000, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. Both of Kozyak's parents suffer from Parkinson's.
The second group was organized by her successor in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Katherine Fernandez Rundle's team, Rundle's Runners for Reno, has raised nearly $2,000, according to the paper.
"We do this for a worthwhile cause and to honor our mentor and good friend Janet Reno who has so valiantly fought this disease for two decades," Fernández Rundle told the paper.
An estimated one million people in the U.S. are a living with Parkinson's disease, with 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Parkinson's disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms.
Researchers now believe that exercise may actually help slow the progression of the disease. Exercise also alleviates symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease such as tremor, issues with balance and gait, flexibility and motor coordination
Sunday's Moving Day Miami event was held at Miami's Bayfront Park.
CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.
