The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Run/Walk series, launched in New York City in 2017, has grown into a powerful annual event that unites people living with Parkinson’s, their loved ones, supporters, and community partners.
Over the years, the series has expanded, now hosting events in six U.S. cities. This year’s Boston Run/Walk saw over 1,000 participants, including 60 individuals with Parkinson’s, with many Northeastern alumni joining the crowd.
The goal of the Run/Walk is to raise funds for research that advances and improves therapies for those living with Parkinson’s disease.
Northeastern University’s Massachusetts SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center joined as a Community Partner. Clinical supervisors, Liz Martin, and Laura O’Donnell, and graduate student Bridget Dwyer hosted the table. They welcomed many visitors and shared information about SPEAK OUT! at Northeastern.
Initially developed by the Parkinson Voice Project in Richardson, Texas, the MA SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center offers a specialized six-week program to improve voice, speech, and communication.
The program includes eight individual sessions, completed either in-person or via Zoom. This is followed by weekly group sessions to help participants maintain their communication skills.
As guests arrived, many eagerly signed up for the program or discovered it for the first time. Meanwhile, former participants proudly stopped by to showcase their “best voices.”
This concept of “best voices” is central to the program’s “speak with intent” initiative. This technique teaches individuals with Parkinson’s to use their voices with conscious intent. Engaging the body’s non-automatic motor system is an effective way to communicate.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation remain committed to developing research, therapies, and community-based programs that support the Parkinson’s community. Notably, this year’s event in Boston raised an impressive $248.2K, surpassing its $200,000 goal, with 100% of the proceeds directed toward Parkinson’s research programs.
