Front: Allison Dastugue and Kaitlin Dastugue. Back: Michael J. Fox Foundation Co-Founder Debi Brooks, Kickin' Parkinson's founders Quentin and Penny Dastugue, Ken Matherne and Margaux Dastugue. (Photo by Elizabeth Moore, archives)
The 8th annual "Kickin' Parkinson's'' fundraiser will be held Thursday (Oct. 19) at Stone Creek Club and Spa near Covington. The next day, scientists and leaders of the Michael J. Fox Foundation will gather in Covington for a round-table discussion on the latest medical breakthroughs in the treatment of the central nervous system disease.
The Thursday night fundraiser will feature live music from Bag of Donuts, an open bar, food from local restaurants and a silent auction. Tickets for the event cost $150 per person and may be bought online at www.kickinparkinsons.com.
Friday's roundtable will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Southern Hotel, 428 E. Boston St. in downtown Covington. It is open to the public and will feature an in-depth discussion on topics of importance to patients and families of those suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Participants in the roundtable include Liz Diemer, director of Team Fox, the grassroots community fundraising program for the Michael J. Fox Foundation; Dr. Rachel Dolhun, the foundation's vice president of medical communications; and Terina Martinez, the foundation's associate director of research programs. The roundtable will feature a question-and-answer session so that audience members may get the latest information on the disease from the panel of experts.
The local Kickin' Parkinson's group is part of a global network and ranks as one of the foundation's top fundraising chapters. In 2016, the local group raised more than $388,000, bringing its fundraising total to over $1.2 million, 100 percent of which has gone directly to foundation programs to speed a cure for Parkinson's disease. Kickin' Parkinson's also earned recognition as one of Team Fox's top 3 fundraising events in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Quentin Dastugue, a former state representative and co-founder of Kickin' Parkinson's who has been living with the disease since 2009, said over 700 people attended the group's 2016 fundraiser, which was also held at Stone Creek. He said such fundraisers are the key to making advancements that are changing the lives of those who have the disease.
"What started in 2009 as a 5K race and family fun run has developed into one of the premiere fund-raising events in our community," Dastugue said. "We want to build on that momentum this year."
Actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from the disease, established the non-profit, New York-based foundation in October 2000. Team Fox is dedicated to raising money and awareness for Parkinson's disease and to finding a cure. More than 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson's annually.
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