Parkinson support group meets Thursday in downtown Sterling

A Parkinson Support Group gathered Thursday afternoon at the CSU Northeast Regional Engagement Center on Main Street, giving Logan County families a nearby place to compare experiences, ask questions and find people who understand the daily strain of the disease.

The meeting ran from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 304 Main Street in Sterling. The Logan County Chamber of Commerce listed Bob Blach and Dale Brekel as contacts, giving residents a direct way to confirm details or get connected if they are living with Parkinson’s disease or helping someone who is.

That local access matters in a county where a health-related appointment or a support meeting can otherwise mean a longer drive or a call into another community. The Sterling gathering offered a central, familiar address in downtown Sterling, a practical setting for families who may already be balancing doctor visits, medications and the demands of caregiving.

A separate listing for the same Sterling group said it meets on the third Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. at the CSU Northeast Regional Engagement Center and is open to people with Parkinson’s, care partners and other loved ones. The listing described the meeting as hybrid, extending the reach of the group beyond those able to sit in the room.

The value of those meetings goes beyond conversation. The Parkinson’s Foundation says its local chapter network connects people with Parkinson’s and caregivers to support groups, wellness classes and education programs. Parkinson Association of the Rockies says support groups are for people navigating Parkinson’s for themselves or for someone they love, while the Colorado Parkinson Foundation says affiliated groups aim to provide mutual support, exchange information on symptoms, medication, research and treatment, and support local programs.

The CSU Northeast Regional Engagement Center describes itself as a regional hub for community-based learning programs, events and meetings, and local directory listings say it serves nine northeastern Colorado counties, including Logan, Sedgwick, Yuma, Phillips, Washington, Morgan, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln. That makes the Sterling support group more than a single-county gathering: it is one of the few regular touchpoints in the region for families who need practical support close to home.

Local listings also show the group already has a regular footprint in Sterling, with upcoming calendar entries naming a June 18 meeting with speaker Travis Harper and another on July 16 at the same Main Street location. For families facing Parkinson’s, that steady schedule can be as important as the conversation itself.