Written by Hailey Hunter ’24
Central College’s Central RED Society will present “Fighting Back Against Parkinson’s” with Natasha Jansen Nikkel, a 2011 Central graduate, Tuesday, April 5, in the Dave and Ardie Sutphen Common Room in the Graham Annex on Central’s campus.
Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. with the presentation beginning at noon. Cost is $10.
The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates more than one million people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and more than 60,000 people are diagnosed each year. Hear firsthand experiences on how the local community is fighting back against the disease with a program called Rock Steady Boxing. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from a trained Rock Steady instructor, participant, family member and volunteer and hear their unique viewpoints on Parkinson’s. At Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinson’s disease is the opponent, and attendees will leave inspired by those in the fight!
Nikkel graduated from Central with a degree in health and exercise science. She earned her MBA with a marketing certificate from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. As the director of wellness at Hearthstone, a ministry of WesleyLife, Nikkel leads holistic health and well-being programs across the levels of living as well as community education programs.
Central RED (Ready to Engage and Discover) is a volunteer-driven, lifelong learning and social organization with an abiding partnership with Central alumni and friends who wish to share knowledge, talents and experiences. Members pay $20 annually to join Central RED. Learn more at central.edu/red.