As she turned one year older Sunday, Lake Zurich resident Jennifer Schalk said she really wanted one birthday gift that she knew couldn't happen.
Schalk said she wished her mother Beverly Schiffer, of Wheeling, could have attended Schalk's fourth annual Team Bev Walk-a-Thon on Sunday, a local fundraiser that supports research on Parkinson's — a disease her mother was diagnosed with four years ago.
Schiffer was not well enough to attend, Schalk said.
"I found out my mom had Parkinson's disease a little over four years ago and decided to find a way to help out other people in this situation," she said. "Unfortunately, my mom's health continues to fail, and she is doing much worse almost daily. This disease is awful."
In Schiffer's absence, more than 150 people helped raise $15,250 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to funding Parkinson's research and finding a cure, according to its website. Attendees gathered Sunday morning at Scoreboard Bar and Grill to walk three miles around Lake Zurich.
Friends and neighbors, along with community supporters, helped assist Schalk with the event. Scoreboard Bar and Grill also pledged to donate 10 percent of its sales Sunday to the fundraiser.
"I know how passionate she is about this event," said Stefani Schweda, co-owner of Scoreboard.
More than 100 raffle items this year covered tables near Scoreboard. Schalk has seen increased participation each year.
In 2013, the fundraiser had 25 people and raised $3,000, she said. In 2014, 50 people helped raise $5,000, while nearly 100 people signed up last year and raised more than $6,000, she said.
Schalk started the event to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation after searching numerous charities online. She also grew up watching the actor on TV, she said.
"His case is especially horrible because he got it at such a young age," Schalk said. "He took what is likely to be the worst thing that ever happened to him and made it such a positive thing for the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from Parkinson's disease."
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.
Copyright © 2016, Chicago Tribune
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