Golf event has raised $400K to fight Parkinson's

Jesus Jimenez , jjimenez@richmond.gannett.com
April 24, 2017

Doug Kuntz is hosting the Pro’s Players Fore Parkinson’s charity golf event at Elk's Country Club and Forest Hills Country Club Saturday and Sunday April 29-30th. Doug Kuntz poses Friday, April 21, 2017, at Elks Country Club where he is the PGA professional.

Doug Kuntz spent 30 years working as a golf professional at the Richmond Elks Country Club.

After battling Parkinson’s disease for about six years, he had to retire from the job he love so much.

Earlier this year, Kuntz was given a special opportunity as he was selected to receive a medical treatment called Deep Brain Stimulation Plus, a procedure only available to about 50 people in the world.

He owes a lot of that opportunity to his annual fundraiser, the Pro’s Players Fore Parkinson’s golf tournament.

“This surgery went really well,” Kuntz said. “There’s still some up and down times. Overall, I’m thrilled with the whole process.”

The seventh Pro’s Players Fore Parkinson’s golf charity event is Saturday and Sunday at the Elks and Forest Hills country clubs.

“We have a lot of fun with it,” Kuntz said. “It’s not just all the pressure of raising money. There’s a lot of good people out there in this golf community.”

The first six tournaments have helped bring in about $400,000 to benefit UK Healthcare of the University of Kentucky and Reid Health's Rock Steady Boxing Program. Last year’s event raised more than $60,000.

Kuntz was diagnosed in 2009 with Parkinson's disease, a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects nearly 1 million people in the United States, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation website.

Kuntz said this year's tournament is full, but sponsorships still are available and donations are welcome.

Sponsors include Best One Tire, Reid Health, University of Kentucky Neurology Center, West End Ban, and Rock Steady Boxing, which Kuntz said has been instrumental in helping Parkinson’s patients cope with the disease.

Kuntz has authored a book, "The Front 9, Pro’s Players Fore Parkinson’s," and is working on another book called "The Back 9."

He said despite suffering through the disease, he’s used it as an opportunity to help others that also suffer from it.

“What you do is, when you have the adversity in life, you just turn it into opportunity,” Kuntz said. “The returns that I’ve got from the community, they’re unbelievable.”

http://www.pal-item.com/story/sports/golf/2017/04/24/golf-event-has-raised-400k-fight-parkinsons/100788702/