San Fernando Valley Regional Chapter The American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc. was founded in 1961 to "ease the burden and find a cure" for Parkinson's disease. Headquartered in New York, the organization focuses its energies on research, patient support, education and raising public awareness of the disease. The San Fernando Valley Regional Chapter of the APDA serves the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Santa Clarita, Simi and Conejo Valleys. Our chapter's goals are to raise funds for research and patient outreach, increase public awareness, and promote legislative advocacy. Several people in our chapter, including board members, have Parkinson's which gives our chapter great insight to the needs of the Parkinson's community.