WELCOME!
Making a Difference in Parkinson’s Disease
Learn about our passionate team,
and how you can help!

LIBBY’S STORY
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in 2004, Elizabeth Woodbury, nicknamed Libby, experienced, first-hand, the need for an organization to provide support and services to those diagnosed with the disease. With that in mind, she formed a committee to raise monies through annual fundraising Style Shows, starting in 2005. In 2012, NWI Parkinson’s, Inc., was officially designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization and incorporated in the State of Indiana.
Libby’s entrepreneurial spirit began in 1997, when she opened Elizabeth’s Fashions*, an upscale women’s boutique, offering designer style for women, with locations in Dyer, Chesterton and Schererville, Indiana. Elizabeth’s Fashions is now part of NWI Parkinson’s, and ALL proceeds go to fund the organization’s activities for Parkinson patients.
As demand for PD services grew, Libby and the NWI Parkinsons’ Board of Directors saw the need for the group to have its own building to better serve individuals and their families. The corporation building, located at 2927 Jewett Avenue in Highland, Indiana, was purchased in 2017, and has grown to serve over 2,000 individuals afflicted with PD annually.
Research has proven that exercise, such as Dance, Yoga and Boxing, can help individuals with PD achieve improved mobility and slows the progression of the disease. NWI Parkinson’s provides a multitude of FREE services to these individuals and their caregivers. FREE classes are offered weekly and include Dance for PD, Boxing, Yoga, Full-Body Workouts, Cardio Drumming Class, LSVT-BIG Class and a NEW Communication Class! Other FREE services include weekly Discussion Groups, led by a nurse, Support Groups and monthly Pearls of Wisdom educational seminars, given by experts in their field on various topics, including Medication Management, Nutrition, and the latest PD Research, to name a few.
Annual fundraising events to support the mission of NWI Parkinson’s, include a Dinner Dance, an Educational Symposium, providing the latest information and research on PD, and a Style Show, featuring women’s styles from her store, and men’s fashions from John Cicco’s Menswear in Merrillville, Indiana.
NWI Parkinson’s Mission Statement is, “To give Parkinson patients HOPE, to know that they are not alone, and that we are bringing them together for exercise, companionship and to find ways to improve their quality of life.”
Elizabeth’s Boutique now has additional space across the atrium upstairs on the 2nd Floor, which also became the new Social Room when there isn’t a Trunk Show. There is also a new game room, with a ping pong table, next to it. Come visit the remodeled boutique, as well as the atrium walkway, the new Social Room, new
Ping-Pong Room, the brand new Reiki Room and Elizabeth’s new office!
And, as of this writing, and with help from the Town of Highland Redevelopment Commission, we now have not only a 3 person lift, but a brand new roof! And that is great news, because we now have a championship billiards table on the 1st floor, donated by a family that attends our exercise classes.
Our Team
Our amazing team of
volunteers is committed
to helping others.
Think you would be a good fit?
Contact us: 219-237-2342
Our Services
Our services are offered free
of charge to Parkinson
patients, thanks to all the
helping hands of this
amazing community.
Our Mission
To give Parkinson patients HOPE,
to know that they are not alone,
and that we are bringing them together
for exercise, companionship and to
find ways to improve their quality of life.
Our Board of Directors:
2025 OFFICERS:
Chairman – Elizabeth Woodbury
1st Vice-Chairman – Donald Nagdeman
2nd Vice-Chairman – Dr. Daniel Dunn
Secretary – Sharon Englert
Treasurer – Lori Plesha
BOARD MEMBERS:
Dr. Ender Akan, Anna Beemer, Andrea Dance, Cyril Huerter,
Julie Markowitz, Dr. Jennifer Pallone, Sandra Qualls, Dr. Aisha Shareef,
Deborah VanCleef, Kathleen Willman, Madeline Wilson & Thomas Woodbury
(Effective March 1, 2025)
Invitation
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We want to thank Strack & Van Til again for NWI Parkinson’s
being chosen again to participate in this year’s Check Out Challenge!
Look for it in late September this year!
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Join us SATURDAY, MAY 17th, for our
10th Annual DINNER DANCE!
(Invitations have been mailed.)
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SAVE THE DATES:
Saturday, May 17th – Annual Dinner Dance at
The Center for Visual Arts in Munster
with the Musical Band, “Together”
NEW ACTIVITY ROOM CLASS SCHEDULE AS OF April 15, 2025
MONDAYS
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
&
12:00 Noon to 1:00 P.M.
FULL BODY WORKOUT
with Bob Difiglio
11:15 to 11:45 p.m.
CARDIO DRUMMING
with Don Nagdeman
TUESDAYS
9:30 a.m.
KICK-BOXING for PARKINSON’S
with Lori Plesha
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
CHAIR YOGA for PARKINSONS
with Joanne Sypudt
EVERY OTHER TUESDAY
12:30 P.M.
DISCUSSION GROUP
with Brunch provided by NWI Parkinson’s
WEDNESDAYS
12:00 Noon—1:00 p.m.
DANCE FOR PARKINSON’S
with Louise Boyd
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
LSVT – BIG
(Temporarily Suspended
for Maternity Situation)
with Kelsey Mulder
5:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m.
KICK-BOXING for PARKINSON’S
with Lori Plesha
THURSDAYS
9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
CARDIO DRUMMING
with Don Nagdeman
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
FULL BODY WORKOUT
with Bob Difiglio
12:00 Noon to 1:00 p.m.
MAT YOGA for PARKINSON’S
with Joanne Sypudt
FRIDAYS
11:30 a.m. -12:00 Noon
SPEAK OUT THERAPY
with Anna Toledo
12:00 Noon—1:00 p.m.
DANCE FOR PARKINSON’S
with Louise Boyd
Call the office at 219-237-2342
with questions or to verify class times.