MADISON, Wis. -- Madisonians put one foot in front of the other on Sunday in hopes of finding a cure for Parkinson's Disease.

The government estimates 1.5 million Americans suffer from the neurological disorder. About 250 walkers packed East Towne Mall, not looking for a bargain, but rather a cure, WISC-TV reported.

"I have Parkinson's," said Nancy Ninmann, who was diagnosed three years ago. Ninmann, from Watertown, brought a crowd of walkers for support.

"This year, 35 to 40 people walked for me," said Ninmann. "I really appreciate it."

"I see everyday, the struggles that she has to deal with," said Nancy's husband Dale Ninmann.

"If I don't take my medicine exactly on time, I get very weak, or my muscles don't operate properly," said Ninmann. "I talk slurred.

That gets very frustrating to me because I know it's happening, and I can't correct it."

Funds raised from the annual walk-a-thon go straight to the American Parkinson Disease Association for research.

Some local doctors said that the money accelerates their work, helping to get new treatments to patients faster.

"I often tell people that if tomorrow morning I wake up and I discover the cure for Parkinson's disease, and apply for the NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant, it would take me about a year and a half to get the funds to do the research," said Dr. Erwin Montgomery, an affiliate scientist at the National Primate Research Center. "Organizations like this can fund these kinds of research programs very quickly."

Ninmann's group raised $3,000 alone, WISC-TV reported.

"It feels really good," said Ninmann.

"Hopefully sometime in her lifetime yet, there can be a cure," said Dale Ninmann. "Not just a treatment, but an actual cure."

Doctors said that detecting Parkinson's Disease in its early stages is difficult, and people can have the disease for years without knowing it. They said as many as one-third of Parkinson's patients haven't been diagnosed.

Early symptoms include tremors, stooped posture and difficulty moving around, WISC-TV reported.