New Team Fox member Steve Gorny has always been an endurance runner.  His resume includes 17 marathons, one 50K run (31 miles), a 100 miler and a Tough Mudder (extremely hard adventure/obstacle course run).  But after his father Len was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the fall of 2010, he decided he needed to run for Parkinson’s research.  He also wanted to “raise the crazy factor” as he says, which is when he came up with “B.R.E.A.K” Parkinson’s – which stands for “By Running Entirely Across Kansas.”

On May 30^th, Gorny will start the 233 mile journey across the state of Kansas on Route 99 from the southern border with Oklahoma to the northern border with Nebraska.  His plan is to complete the 233 miles in just 5 days, looking to average 50 a day for the first 4 days so that day 5 is “just” the remaining 33. Continue reading “Steve Gorny plans to “B.R.E.A.K.” Parkinson’s – By Running Entirely Across Kansas” »

Team Sister's Fighting Parkinson's!

Tips For Parkinson’s is gearing up for it’s 7th year and you’re invited! On May 23rd, 2012 over 800 people will walk through the doors of the IAC HQ Building and raise money for Team Fox. Tips For Parkinson’s was started by Team Fox Member and Mentor Susan Bilotta in an effort to raise money and awareness for Team Fox. The event is dedicated to Susan’s mother who’s been living with Parkinson’s for over 20 years. TFP started in 2006 at local bar in New York City called Vertigo with 100 friends and family. Jump to 2012 and TFP has has become a competitive bartending event with great food and exciting auction items. Last year Tips for Parkinson’s raised over $190,000 for Team Fox! Continue reading “7th Annual Tips For Parkinson’s” »

Guests check out the auction table at the Poehlmann family's Team Fox event.

In April 2012, Team Fox member Josie Poehlmann celebrated the tenth anniversary of her event, the Annual Tom Poehlmann Benefit for Parkinson’s. Together with her sons Tom Jr. and Brian, Josie has been raising funds to honor her late husband, who had Parkinson’s disease. In the last ten years, they have raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars for Team Fox by inviting their friends and family members to McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon in Philadelphia for an afternoon complete with live music, raffles, a silent auction and free draft beer.

This year’s event brought many obstacles, including new state gambling laws that prevented their annual (and successful) 50/50 and Chinese raffles, a torrential downpour on the day of that they were sure would affect attendance, and more. Despite all of this, about 300 people attended and they achieved their goal of raising $20,000. Continue reading “How One Family in Philadelphia Has Raised Nearly $250,000 for Parkinson’s Research” »

Students, faculty and friends in line for pancakes!

The students at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) are unstoppable. With more than a dozen spirit groups on campus, over 60 Greek Letter Organizations, and countless student activities, there is never a dull moment. It’s no surprise then that so many volunteered their time to make the 2^nd Annual Longhorn Pancakes for Parkinson’s event a success.

The results truly speak for themselves: over 100 student volunteers, 3,000 in attendance, and nearly $20,000 raised for Parkinson’s research. In its second year, Longhorn Pancakes again honored longtime and beloved faculty member Dr. James Vick. To show his appreciation and support, Dr. Vick—accompanied by his wife, Niki, and daughter, Stuart—mingled with students, fellow faculty members and friends for the entire duration of the event. Clearly Longhorn Pancakes will carry on a tradition of raising funds and awareness for PD that was started years ago at the University of Virginia. Continue reading “Second Annual Longhorn Pancakes Event Raises Nearly $20,000 for Team Fox” »

Kathy Rogan's painting of Piazza San Marco, up for silent auction at her Team Fox art sale on May 19.

Kathy Rogan, a painter, world traveler, and mother of two, is preparing for her first ever Team Fox event. On Saturday, May 19, she is hosting an art show at Anna’s Walk Club House in Athens, GA, selling her own original oil paintings to benefit Parkinson’s research. To say the cause is close to her heart is an understatement. Kathy’s family has been affected by the disease on many levels. Her paternal grandmother, her father and her father’s brother all had Parkinson’s, as do two of her sisters. On top of all of this, her husband—who has no PD in his extended family—lived with the disease for about five years.

She started painting more than 30 years ago, with items displayed in private collections across the United States and abroad. A handful of paintings will be on sale at her upcoming Team Fox event. Her largest work, a painting of Venice, Italy’s Piazza San Marco, will be up for silent auction.

Continue reading “Paintings for Parkinson’s: A Team Fox Art Sale Honors A Family with Six Parkinson’s Diagnoses” »

Since her Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2005, Nancy Kaminsky and her husband, Rich, have been “putting one foot in front of the other,” she says. But things changed within the past year, when she began experiencing dyskinesia, the debilitating, uncontrollable movements that are a common side effect of the gold-standard treatment for PD. “Now,” she says, “it’s difficult to feel like you’re moving forward.”

Residents of Miami, Florida, Nancy and Rich have tried to manage this troubling side effect by working with her doctor to find the optimal dosage of levodopa-carbidopa. If she stays under a certain threshold, she can more effectively stave off the dyskinesia. But that also limits her relief from the equally debilitating motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. As with many patients, Nancy has turned to exercise, which has been helpful. With her ramped up exercise regimen, she’s even noticed she can better tolerate the lower dosage of levodopa-carbidopa.

While she and Rich maintain a positive outlook—and a good sense of humor—Nancy admits her dyskinesia is both frustrating and embarrassing. “You feel like you’re not in control,” she says. They recently attended a concert with some friends when her dyskinesia began, which is often worse at night. “It’s so unpredictable—you just never know when it will start. Nonetheless, you deal with it as best you can.” Continue reading “Dealing with Dyskinesia as Best You Can: One Couple’s Story” »

Team Fox member, James Mangini kicked off his 1,000 Mile Marathon from Charleston, SC to New York City in honor of his father, James Sr, on Monday morning. On his planned 30-day journey, James will brave busy streets and knee-pounding pavement for more than 33 miles every day. Follow James’ progress over the next month for daily inspiration and help him raise $100,000 for Team Fox!

"Pars for Parkinson's" teammate Ira Goetz with Norm Steinberg at last year's golf outing.

Dr. Louis ‘Lou’ Flancbaum was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago. While the diagnosis brought an end to his career as a general surgeon, it also opened the door to a whole new (and unfamiliar) set of responsibilities. As Lou puts it, “I didn’t really retire the day I was diagnosed, I simply traded one career for another.” Lou adopted a more active lifestyle, exercising for two hours each day—a therapy that has enabled him to avoid taking any medication. In addition, he and his zealous wife, Debby, have been Team Fox members since 2009, raising more than $150,000 so far for Parkinson’s research. And there is no end in sight to their fundraising efforts.

Continue reading “How A Parkinson’s Diagnosis Turned into A More Active Lifestyle and $150,000+ Raised for Team Fox” »

Team Fox Mentor, James Mangini will run 1,000 miles from Charleston, SC to New York City in honor of his father, James Sr. and the millions of others worldwide with Parkinson’s disease.  On his planned 30-day journey, James will have to brave busy streets and knee-pounding pavement for more than 33 miles every day.  He kicked off today at 10:30 AM.  Follow James over the next month for daily inspiration and help him raise $100,000 for Team Fox!

A few months back I got a call on my cell phone.  It was from someone named James Mangini.  I’d never met him.  He introduced himself, told me he was a Team Fox member, and started to give me the details of an adventure/fundraiser he was trying to pull together.  His plan was straightforward enough; he’d run 1,000 miles, between Charleston, SC and New York City, and he’d do it in no more than 30 days.  Having heard that I just completed a 2,400 mile adventure run of my own for Team Fox, James wanted to ask some advice about life under the stress of so many miles. Continue reading “James Mangini Embarks on 1000 Mile Marathon for Team Fox” »

This Parkinson’s Awareness Month was a busy one—at The Michael J. Fox Foundation and throughout the Parkinson’s community. April was filled with promising research news, innovative partnerships, surprise appearances, great media hits, key milestones, new friends and more.

The results: More people are aware of the urgent need to speed better treatments—and a cure—to patients. And they’re ready to take action.

A few of April’s highlights: Continue reading “Recapping Parkinson’s Awareness Month” »