NEW YORK, NY – The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) is teaming up with EHE International to raise awareness of the fight against Parkinson’s disease. For the month of July, EHE International has kindly donated a 115-square-foot window space at 10 Rockefeller Plaza to showcase the many ways ordinary citizens can support the Foundation through its grassroots fundraising arm, Team Fox.
“Team Fox, now in its fifth year, has benefited tremendously from generous public awareness opportunities provided by corporate partners such as EHE International,” says Todd Sherer, Acting CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. “These efforts are critical in helping us spread the word about our mission to new friends eager to join us in helping speed a cure for Parkinson’s disease.”
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects roughly one million Americans and six million people worldwide and is the 14th leading cause of death worldwide. While the average age of onset is sixty, the disease can strike patients as early as age 30. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Current treatments mask some symptoms but bring serious side effects, lose efficacy over time, and do not slow or alter disease progression.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation was founded in 2000 to speed the development of better Parkinson’s treatments—and to ultimately find a cure—through an aggressively funded research agenda. To date, the Foundation has funded almost $187 million in research toward a cure. Over $9 million has been raised through Team Fox, launched by the Foundation in 2006 to support those all over the country who had already made it their personal mission to raise money for MJFF in unique, creative and fun ways. Members of Team Fox walk, run, blog, jog, paddle, dance and even flip pancakes to help make Parkinson’s disease a thing of the past. The Rockefeller Plaza display will highlight these efforts, to show how joining Team Fox can make a significant difference in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
“We are thrilled to offer Team Fox the window for the second year in a row for the month of July. Our goal for the Team Fox display is to educate as many people as possible about Parkinson’s disease, and the work The Michael J. Fox Foundation is doing to find a cure,” says Deborah McKeever, President of EHE International.