Philip DeAngelo and Mike Kelly met as doubles partners for tennis. While both men shared a love of the game, they didn’t know they had something else in common: a connection to Parkinson’s disease. Mike was diagnosed several years ago. Phil’s mother-in-law and her brother have Parkinson’s, as did their father. Since then, Parkinson’s has brought these two families closer, and so has Team Fox.
This Sunday, along with Mike, Phil, his wife, Tina, and his coworkers, Charles Yarnold and Michael Passante, are running the 2012 ING New York City marathon on behalf of Team Fox.
Earlier this year, Phil convinced his colleagues at Focused Wealth Management, Charles and Michael, to join him and Tina in running the NYC half marathon as members of Team Fox. It wasn’t difficult to persuade them, as Charles’ father has PD and Michael is a huge fan of Team Fox. Phil says, “Training for the half was our first big undertaking, and it wet our whistle.”
Through their relationship with the Kellys, they got even more involved with Team Fox. They helped the Kellys start both the RiverBREW for Parkinson’s Research, held for the first time in August, and the River View Run for Parkinson’s Research, held for a third year this October and sponsored by their firm, Focused Wealth Management.
As they’ve been training for the marathon, all four have had Parkinson’s patients in mind. Charles says, “Training for a marathon is tough. It requires a lot of time and is a lifestyle change. But people with PD would gladly change places with me. That keeps me going on my long runs.” A few weeks ago, Tina went on a training run with Mike Kelly. “It meant so much to me to run with him,” she says. Phil says, “I think of Mike while I’m running. If he can train for this with Parkinson’s, then I can’t complain.”
Along the way, they’ve been bolstered by the Team Fox community. Tina says, “It’s such a great support network. We really build each other up.”
They’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the response they’ve gotten from friends and family. Charles initially didn’t tell his family he was running the marathon. He says, “I didn’t want them to think I was soliciting them for donations. But the reaction I got when I told them was just the opposite. They’re so happy to be able to contribute to my efforts.” Phil echoes this, “Parkinson’s touches more people than you realize. When some of our clients found out we were running, they wanted to help out because they have a connection to the disease.”
While they all look forward to finishing the marathon this Sunday, they’re also grateful to contribute to a larger cause. Charles says, “You’re not just sending in a check. You’re really showing that you care and raising awareness.”
Phil says, “It’s an honor to wear the Team Fox jersey. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is such a great organization. We don’t take our commitment to them—and to Mike Kelly—lightly.”