BACKGROUND

In the spring of 2016, I went looking for a bike ride that raised funds for Parkinson’s Research. I thought there had to be one in Southern California, mainly because every other cause seemed to have a bike ride, but, boy, I was wrong! The closest one was in Santa Rosa in Northern California, 450 miles away. My son and I rode in the second Tour de Fox Wine Country Edition in August of 2016, held at the Kendal Jackson Winery. I thought to myself, “Maybe this is something I can do when I retire.”

I retired from teaching AP U.S. History and AP Comparative Government in June of 2017. In August, my son and I rode in the third Tour de Fox that year. I had the opportunity to meet Rick Tigner, the CEO of Kendal Jackson, whose wife also has Parkinson’s. So, we had something in common. He was very helpful with things to do, what has to happen and all the other necessary ‘boxes’ I had to check off in order to, not only put on a ride, but also raise funds for MJFF. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t have the ‘horses’ to pull something like that off. After all, he was the CEO of a major corporation and I was just a retired teacher that nobody knew.

In December of 2017, not sure whether I should put a ride on or not, my youngest daughter told me, “Dad! Just put it on! If you get 6 riders it’s 6 more than they had before.” Because of her inspiration, in June of 2018, the ride was born. As with many things, the So Cal Ride for Parkinson’s began as a “labor of love” for my wife. We were going to begin at a local grassroots level. We had to! I had no idea what I was doing, so I listened, asked a lot of questions, and started to put together a ride.

The first year, The Cyclist, in Costa Mesa, California helped me host the ride. They were a wealth of knowledge. But the first question they asked me was, “What is your budget?” I responded, “UUHH—a budget???” On a side note, I am a very strong believer that if people are going to give money for a cause, then that money should go to the cause—not for putting on the event, parties, lunches, dinners or salaries for people ‘working’ the event. Consequently, we had 55 riders and raised $5,000 for Team Fox/MJFF. The only problem was that it cost me $5,500 out of my own pocket. We didn’t take a penny and that has become our standard since then, against the advice of many people that thought I was crazy.

The second year, 2019, we were still at The Cyclist, and had 80 riders, raised $6,000 and it only cost me $5,000. At least the trend was going in the right direction! A week after the ride, Brian McGuire called me. His daughter, Tracy, had signed him up for the ride that year. He called me and wanted to have lunch. We met and he told me that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and wanted to help. Brian asked me what my weak spot was and I told him that I had a hard time asking for money. He said that was his strong suit! A relationship was born and it has become stronger over the years. In starting to plan for the 2020 ride, COVID hit. We went ‘Virtual’ that year. Which was a Godsend for us. We became a 501 (C) 3 Corporation, had an actual business bank account, formed a Board of Directors, and filled out all the legal paperwork for the State of California and the IRS. However, we still raised $14,800 for Team Fox and we had no expenses, since we were virtual.

In the summer of 2020, I wrote a letter to the CEO of Hoag Hospital, Robert Baithwaite, in Orange County, California to ask if we could use their parking lot out in their facility in Irvine. We had outgrown the space at The Cyclist and needed more room. I expected my letter to ‘hit the round file’ and not even be opened. To my utter amazement, thirty days after I sent the letter, I got a call from the Hoag Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute to tell me they wanted to help. They made the stipulation, though, that it depended on how the COVID situation was in June of 2021. They said they would give me a thumbs up or down by April 1, 2021. They gave a thumbs up and we had 60 days to put the ride together—t-shirts, permits, porta potties, volunteers, routes for the different distances of the ride and much more. Our goal was 120 riders and $30,000 in fundraising. We had 213 riders and raised $38,000 (with the guidance of Brian) straight to Team Fox/MJFF. During that brief 60 days we had sponsors, mostly local companies, fund the ride so that ALL funds raised went to Parkinson’s Research.

Realizing that people with Parkinson’s are very uncomfortable on a bike, in the fourth year, 2022 we added a 3/5K walk/run. So, in our fourth year we had 312 participants and raised $55,000. The walk has grown exponentially. The fifth year, 2023, we had 405 participants, and raised $125,000. The sixth year, 2024, we had 588 participants and raised $360,000. This last year, 2025, we had 788 participants and raised $408,000. In seven years, we have raised for Team Fox $1,188,000 for Parkinson’s Research and have become the third largest fundraiser for Team Fox nationwide.

This has only been possible because of the great team of people I get the privilege to work with. First and foremost is my wife, Karen, who gives me insight, hope and love when I am falling apart at the seams. Marty Furman, who was the first one to sign up 7 years ago, whose sage advice has kept me on a steady course. Eliot Dratch is the one with a voice of reason and practicality. Claire McLean, owner of Rogue Physical Therapy and Wellness, is the one that keeps us on track as to what people with Parkinson’s need and want. Suzi Godber and Mitch Theissen step into situations and get things done. I never had to ask them to do anything—they just do it. Brad Pierce is always willing to step in and help, mostly with aide stations and the Boy Scouts performing the flag ceremony. We just added a new member, Paula Wihongi, who has an extensive background in the financial realm and is very strong in organization and team building. And last, but definitely not least, is Brian McGuire, Dennis Rainey, and Emile Bayle, who have spearheaded the fundraising for SoCal Ride/Walk for Parkinson’s. Dave Israelsky and Dennis Kuhl are Board of Directors Emeritus because of their wise counsel and knowledge of organizations.

It has been my honor and privilege to work with so many people that have the common goal of finding a cure for Parkinson’s. These are people from all backgrounds and walks of life—but the thread that binds us together is that we want people with Parkinson’s to live lives without pain, without tremors, without all of the problems that they face EVERY SINGLE DAY.

May God bless you and keep you.