I am pleased to share that starting Dec. 5, I and others at the company, the Medchart Trail Blazers, will embark on a 27-leg, 553 mile (900 km) running and hiking course on Bruce Trail to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). The team plans to complete this fundraiser by mid 2022.
Why this? Why now?
More than six million people worldwide live with Parkinson's. It is the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. There is no known cure.
Bruce Trail is Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath from Niagara to Tobermory. We have upped the ante by doing this through the winter when we could experience temps of -22F in three feet of snow.
This is part of Medchart’s ongoing corporate social responsibility which has included numerous food drives, support for domestic abuse shelters in the community, and DEI initiatives in the workplace.
My story
Personally, I have been on a fitness journey over the past three years through running and diet. At 75 pounds lighter, I am thrilled to be living a more healthy lifestyle. Running this trail is a personal test and a way to do something for a critical cause. As well, Parkinson’s is close to me and my family. My grandmother is currently suffering from it, and we watched my wife’s grandmother in her journey of meds and treatment. Although we don’t have a cure, we can find a way to stop the progression of the disease.
In addition to the dozen participants, we will open a section of the trail for others to run or hike a 5K. We’ll be highlighting stories of our other Trail Blazers in the weeks ahead, so keep an eye on our blog, Twitter @realMedchart and LinkedIn.
MJFF is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda to ensure the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's. Here is the link to donate: https://fundraise.michaeljfox.org/tf-2021/MedchartTrailBlazers. Be assured that 100% of Team Fox proceeds go straight to MJFF’s programmatic efforts.
Everyone can help end Parkinson’s disease, one step at a time.