Good News: Cruise for Consciousness returns this Sunday

​     The Purple Peace Foundation’s Cruise for Consciousness car show returns to Armstrong Park this Sunday, August 1st from 11:00am—3:00pm. Over 300 cars are expected at the event.
     While car enthusiasts are excited to have the opportunity to connect after a year off due to COVID-19, families like Shannon Walter’s understand what the car show means to the people the Foundation serves.
     The Purple Peace Foundation, started in 2012 in memory of Amanda Brady, who died in 2011 from a seizure, serves families impacted by epilepsy.
     Cole Colledge, now 20 and working full-time at Sam’s Club, has been involved with the Foundation for several years.     
     Cole’s mom, Shannon Walter, said she reached out to the Foundation not long after Cole’s diagnosis after seeing a post about the car show.
     “We have just become family since then. Without this organization, I really don’t know where I’d be today,” Walter said.
      “As a parent, I’m his care taker and his voice. There are many things I didn’t know. It’s like being a new parent all over again. Having a support group for myself, my son, and my daughter has meant the world to us.”
     One the most memorable experiences the family was able to have thanks to the support of the Foundation was a trip to Disneyland for its annual Epilepsy Awareness Day. While a trip to the happiest place on earth is wonderful, Walter said the access to countless resources and tools for families is the real draw.
     “You are able to have conversations with doctors, lawyers, service providers. You name it, they have every resource there.”
     One of the best parts of their involvement with Purple Peace Foundation is the normalcy they feel at activities with families who also deal with epilepsy.
     “I know my son says he feels ‘normal’ with the group. If someone has a seizure during an event, everyone jumps into action, but it is manageable and no one feels strange about it,” Walter said. 
     “When this has happened to another person at an event, I have been able to say, ‘See, you aren’t alone.’.” 
     There is no cost to attend the car show on Sunday. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.purplepeacefoundation.org.