Dear Friend of “Parking Suns”:
Please support me as I enter three long distance, open water swim competitions this summer to raise money for, and awareness of, dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. All donations will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Your financial support will help enormously! To make a donation, please visit my Team Fox “Parking Suns – Bruce Ballard” donor webpage:
click HERE!
Parkinson’s disease is the 2nd most common neurological movement disorder, causing changes in the part of the brain that controls movement. Symptoms vary from individual to individual, and can include tremor, slowness of movement, muscle tightness, a severe limp and problems with balance. Non-motor symptoms include choking and swallowing difficulties, chronic insomnia, constipation, and dementia. Approximately one million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s. (See my list, below, of famous people diagnosed with PD.)
Dystonia is the 3rd most common neurological movement disorder, causing involuntary muscle contractions and spasms that force the body into awkward, painful postures. An estimated half million kids and adults in North America suffer from dystonia, and about 40 percent of people living with Parkinson’s have dystonia, too.
There are no known cures – yet – for these debilitating diseases. I hope to change that – with your support! I am entering the following swim competitions as a Team Fox athlete:
- July 16: Greenwich, CT; 1-mile open water race
- July 30: Brighton Beach, NY; “Grimaldo’s Mile” open water race
- August 6: Greenwich Island Beach, CT; 2-mile open water race
Last year (see photo above) I entered two relay triathlons for Team Fox and raised almost $5000; to see a photo essay about that, click here! This year I hope to raise double the amount!
Your financial support will help enormously! To make a donation, please visit my Team Fox “Parking Suns – Bruce Ballard” donor webpage:
click HERE!
Every dollar you give will go directly to fund research that has been identified as benefiting people with dystonia and Parkinson’s.
You can also support our efforts by sharing this post with family and friends, and using social media and other platforms to spread the word.
Many thanks in advance for your generosity,
Bruce Ballard
P.S. To learn more about my recent athletic training, please click here and here!
P.P.S. If you’d like to make a donation via check, please make it out to “The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research,” and mail it to:
Seth Manthey, Team Fox Officer
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Grand Central Station
P.O. Box 4777
New York, NY 10163-4777
Please write my name and “Team Parking Suns” on the memo line.
About Team Fox
Team Fox is The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) grassroots community fundraising program. It is made up of thousands of people worldwide who raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease research. All funds raised through Team Fox go directly to MJFF to further its mission to accelerate the delivery of life-changing treatments, and ultimately a cure, to people with Parkinson’s disease.
To date, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has funded more than $450 million in Parkinson’s research, making us the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research in the world. With seven on-staff PhDs, an MD and several business strategists, we have the expertise to evaluate the most promising research opportunities and to assess which areas hold the most promise for improving the treatment of PD.
Famous People Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease
- Michael J. Fox
- Muhammad Ali
- George H.W. Bush
- Brian Grant (NBA basketball player)
- Johnny Isakson (U.S. Senator)
- Davis Phinney (Olympic cyclist)
- Janet Reno (U.S. Attorney General)
- Linda Ronstadt
- Jack Anderson (newspaper columnist)
- Jim Backus (actor – Magoo; Gilligan’s Island)
- Margaret Bourke-White (photographer)
- Johnny Cash
- Salvador Dalí
- Pope John Paul II
- Dean Jones (actor)
- Pauline Kael (film critic)
- Casey Kasem (radio dj)
- Deborah Kerr (actress)
- John Lindsay (New York City mayor)
- William Masters (American sex researcher)
- Vincent Price (actor)
- Robin Williams (actor)
