COLONIE — The crowd was so large to celebrate the opening of the YMCA’s new Parkinson’s Center on Nov. 18, that the event had to be held in a tent outdoors.

The officials and supporters who spoke to the crowd of over 150 embraced the center as transformational for people dealing with the disease.

Parkinson’s is a progressive, incurable neurological disorder that affects movement, causing symptoms like tremors, slowness, and rigidity. A study published in 2022 showed that the annual incidence of Parkinson’s disease among older adults was 50 percent higher than former estimates of 60,000 diagnoses annually.

“There’s 5,000 people here in the Capital Region who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. And what they said is that there’s no cure for Parkinson’s,” said David Brown, the president and chief executive officer of the Capital District YMCA who hosted the event.

He went on, “We believe that the Parkinson’s Center is a cure and it’s a cure called hope.”

Brown said the center will help Parkinson’s patients physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. “It’s not just about the individual,” he said, “but it’s also about the family and the caregiver. We have programs for them here as well.

“And the great news is that we’re doing all of this at no cost due to the wonderful partners that we have.”

Brown also said that the Capital District YMCA is the only YMCA in the country that has a Parkinson’s Center.

The YMCA had started with a program called Pedaling for Parkinson’s after research from the Cleveland Clinic showed that pedaling a bicycle at a rapid pace — 80 to 90 revolutions per minute — could reduce symptoms by as much as 35 percent.

Programs like boxing and ping pong were added to improve mobility, build confidence, and bring people together.

The new center at 98 Wolf Road in Colonie offers rows of stationary bikes for pedaling but myriad other equipment as well. Programs include yoga, dance, boxing, and tai chi.

YMCA Parkinson’s Center memberships for participants and their families are available at no cost.

State Senator Jacob Ashby, who worked as an occupational therapist for 20 years, said of the new center, “It’s going to make a significant impact not only on their lives but on their families as well.”

Mary Rozak, speaking on behalf of Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, stressed the importance of partnerships and concluded with this thought, “The one four-letter word that we need to say each and every day …. is hope.”