NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Parkinson's Unity Walk will return to Central Park this Saturday as the community comes together again with the shared goal of curing the disease this Parkinson's Awareness Month.
The annual fundraiser, hosted by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, will bring thousands of people to New York City to raise awareness and money for research and public policy priorities.
Maryum 'May May' Ali, the Parkinson's Unity Walk spokesperson and daughter of boxing great Muhammad Ali, said her father could've used the kind of support the walk helps to fund.
"He didn't have a Parkinson's support group to go to," Ali told 1010 WINS. "Very little was known, so he would say, 'Get out there and educate yourself.'"
Organizers say 100% of the money raised will go toward supporting the research and public policy priorities that people and families living with Parkinson's urgently need.
Every dollar raised will be matched up to $1 million thanks to the generosity of Michael J. Fox Foundation donors Connie and Steve Ballmer.
The foundation's CEO and co-founder, Debi W. Brooks, called their support "super exciting."
Brooks noted that the walk's popularity has grown over the years.
"When it began about 30 years ago, there were a couple of hundred people in Central Park, and the most recent one had 11,000 people and raised well over a million dollars," she said.
For the past 13 years, Jim McNasby, MJFF's chief people officer and general counsel, has been the organization's largest fundraiser for the Unity Walk.
As someone who has been living with Parkinson's disease since 2000, McNasby said the walk is unique to each participant's experience.
"It's different for everybody, and so educating yourself will allow you to respond and offer the supportive environment that you want to create for somebody who is struggling with something like Parkinson's," he added.
Ali said it's a mild, peaceful walk for participants, who can also take advantage of information booths and speak with industry representatives and local and national organizations.
"You know, getting the information to know how to manage your symptoms, to try to improve your quality of life—this is what's all at the walk," Ali said.
The event starts at 8:30 a.m. on April 22, rain or shine. Participants should head to Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell, which can be accessed via the E. 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue entrance. The 1.2-mile walk lasts until 12:30 p.m.
You can register for free and find more information at unitywalk.org.
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