JUSTIN ROGERS | Gazette-Mail photos
Margaret Chico-Eddy (left) cheers on Mandy Jordan, of Sissonville, and her dog Jojo as they cross the finish line in the fifth annual Fox Trot for Parkinson’s Research in Charleston Saturday morning.
In a life filled with obstacles and triumphs, running the fifth annual Fox Trot for Parkinson’s Research was a breeze for its founder George Manahan.
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| Runners take off during the fifth-annual Fox Trot for Parkinson’s Research in Charleston Saturday morning. More than 450 people participated in this year’s event, according to event organizers. |
“It was great, especially because the weather cooperated with us,” said Manahan, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease seven years ago. “And this year, I think people were more interested in giving more.”
Saturday’s Fox Trot, a 5k race and walk in Charleston, built on previous years’ momentum by raising roughly $50,000 total to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation and its goal to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Around 500 people participated in the event, Manahan said.
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| Luke Ellis finished the race in first place with a time of 18:30 during this year’s Fox Trot for Parkinson’s Research. |
The race began at the Capitol Market, where participants worked their way through downtown before reaching its halfway point at the state Capitol Complex, and then coming back to the market for the finish.Luke Ellis came in first with a time of 18:30.2. Seth Conner finished second with a time of 20:34.6. Logan Hostuttler finished third with a time of 21:07.8.
The Fox Trot was held in conjunction with the Capitol Market Green Chili Shootout, one of the nation’s largest green-only chili events.
Manahan said Charleston’s awareness of Parkinson’s and its challenges has seen a jump since the inception of Fox Trot and the Charleston Parkinson’s Support Group, which he also founded.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive disorder that affects movement. Symptoms range from a mild tremor to physical incapacitation.
Nearly one million people live with Parkinson’s in the U.S., according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Its cause is unknown.
Manahan, who is also president of the Charleston-based public relations firm The Manahan Group, said living with Parkinson’s is by no means easy. But the success of Fox Trot and the support group has given him hope and motivation to keep fighting for a cure.
“If you give up, you lose,” he said. “You’ve got to keep going.”
Reach Max Garland at max.garland@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or follow @MaxGarlandTypes on Twitter.
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20170318/fox-trot-raises-funds-awareness-for-parkinsons-research
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