Help Cobi Narita Fight Parkinson's Disease, 4/18, St. Peter's

Producer and jazz aficionada Cobi Narita has put together a concert to benefit Parkinson's Unity Walk. The concert will take place Sunday, April 18, at 7:30 PM at Saint Peter's Church. The 16th annual Walk will take place on Saturday, April 24 at Central Park, from 10 AM - 3 PM. Narita, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's six years ago, will be there heading up Team CobiJazz.

To donate online, log on HERE. Donations also may be sent directly to Parkinson's Unity Walk, PO Box 275, Kingston, NJ 08528; include a note on Memo Line: For Team CobiJazz.

To join the Walk, register on line at www.unitywalk.org and sign up to Team CobiJazz.

NEW YORK, NY – Join producer and jazz aficionada Cobi Narita on Sunday, April 18, at 7:30 pm at Saint Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54^th Street in New York City, for a concert to benefit the Parkinson’s Unity Walk. The 16^th annual Walk takes place on Saturday, April 24, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at Central Park and Narita will be there in her wheelchair heading up Team CobiJazz.

The concert will feature Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché, Terell Stafford Quintet, Doc Vollmer's Harlem Blues and Jazz Band as well as vocalists Tina Fabrique, Carline Ray and Jeree Wade, accompanied by the Frank Owens Trio. Produced by Narita, the concert will be hosted by the Rev. Dale R. Lind, Jazz Pastor Emeritus of Saint Peter's Church, and Narita’s husband, Paul J. Ash, President of Sam Ash Music Stores.

Narita, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years ago, chose Parkinson's Unity Walk because 100 percent of all donations goes to research through the seven major U.S. Parkinson’s disease organizations. Her goal is to raise $10,000, which will be her birthday present to Parkinson's research and a fitting tribute to Parkinson's Awareness Month (April).

To donate on line, log on to http://www.unitywalk.org/events/participant.php?memID=3764&eventID=1. Donations also may be sent directly to Parkinson's Unity Walk, PO Box 275, Kingston, NJ 08528; include a note on Memo Line: or Team CobiJazz. Once a check is received, it will be entered on Cobi’s Participant Page, for Team CobiJazz. To join the Walk, register on line at www.unitywalk.org and sign up to Team CobiJazz.

Representing the Afro-Cuban sound will be Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché with Bobby Sanabria, drums, vocals, percussion; Peter Brainin, tenor & soprano sax, flute, vocals, percussion; Enrique Haneine, piano, vocals, percussion; and Alex Hernandez, acoustic bass, vocals, percussion. Performing with the Terell Stafford, trumpet, will be Jeb Patton, piano; David Wong, bass; and two surprise special guests. The Final Group will be Doc Vollmer's Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, with Joey Morant, trumpet; Art Baron, trombone; Fred Staton, tenor saxophone; Max Lucas, tenor saxophone; Bertha Hope, piano; Michael Max Fleming, bass; Buddy Henry, drums; and Ruth Brisbane, vocals. Joining Frank Owens are Lisle Atkinson on bass and Greg Bufford on drums.

Tax-deductible donations beginning at $25 and up will give music fans entrance to the dynamic event. Seating sections include:

• $500 or more: Platinum Circle
• $100 or more: Gold Circle
• $50 - 99: Silver Circle
• $25 – 49: Bronze Circle

All concert expenses will be paid for by Paul Ash, allowing his wife to donate every dollar to Parkinson's Unity Walk, which will distribute the funds to Parkinson’s organizations for continuing research.

The Parkinson’s Unity Walk, founded in 1994 by Margot Zobel, is an annual event where the entire Parkinson’s community gathers with the goal of not only raising awareness of the condition, but of raising donations for research. The Parkinson’s Unity Walk has made a significant impact on the Parkinson’s disease community since its inception, raising more than $7 million for Parkinson’s research by uniting the community under a common goal of winning the war against Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s Unity Walk raised $1.5 million in 2009. Support for the Walk has grown considerably each year – from 200 participants at the first Walk in 1994, to more than 10,000 last year. The event unites the strength and spirit of the seven major U.S. Parkinson’s disease organizations:

• American Parkinson Disease Association
• National Parkinson Foundation
• Parkinson’s Action Network
• Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
• The Parkinson Alliance
• The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center

With 100 percent of donations given to research, the Walk provides the public with an opportunity to help the Parkinson’s community and change the lives of millions of people suffering from the disease.

For more information, visit www.unitywalk.org.

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www.saintpeters.org
www.unitywalk.org