Chris Tracey (back row, fourth from left) pictured with friends and members of the 'Race with Trace' marathon relay teams.
This past fall, fifteen friends gathered together to participate on three separate teams in the Cape Cod Marathon Relay. We received a lovely note from Chris Tracey, better known to his friends as “Trace,” to let us know how the event went.
Hi!
I just wanted to send a note of thanks to everyone at Team Fox for all of the support you provided as we planned our first fundraiser! After I was diagnosed with Parkinsonism, I decided that running a race would provide a great goal to keep me exercising. I reached out to see if any friends wanted to run with me. Eventually, 15 runners organized three teams to run the Cape Cod Marathon Relay. The race took on added significance when I was diagnosed with young onset PD in September at age 34. We ended up calling this event "Race with Trace toward a Cure" and set a goal of raising $2,500 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation through Team Fox. Due to the generosity of so many, we were thrilled to be able to raise over $5,000 in donations!
It was an amazing weekend overall, including a "carb loading" dinner and post-race celebration amidst perfect fall Cape Cod weather. We are already talking about making this an annual event and some team members are also beginning to organize other events for Team Fox. The success of this event was in large part thanks to the support we received from you all, as well as the amazing work that you do to support research. So many people were inspired to give when they learned about the work you do. So, thank you! As a person with PD, it would be impossible to adequately express my thanks for your efforts!
Thank you!
Chris Tracey
Chis, we must thank you. Thank you for joining the Team Fox movement and for inspiring others around you to get involved too. Together our actions will help speed a cure for Parkinson’s, one mile at a time.
Editor’s Note: In addition to having his teammates reach out to friends and family for donations, Trace also encouraged them to further their impact by training with Charity Miles, an app that allows runners to earn 25 cents per mile in support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. In a serendipitous turn of events, the Race for Trace event actually occurred during the Foundation’s Miles for a Cure Triple Miles Weekend Challenge, through which each mile earned a whopping $3 for Parkinson’s research. Thanks to supporters like Chris and his team, over 147,000 miles were run, biked and walked during the month-long Miles for a Cure Challenge resulting in a $100,000 donation from challenge sponsor Medtronic!