The 9th Annual Birmingham Ride to Eradicate Parkinson’s, part of the Team Rowland Road Series, will be Saturday, Oct. 4 at Oak Mountain State Park. This event, in conjunction with the Par Fore Parkinson’s golf tournament Oct. 3, benefits the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Parkinson Association of Alabama.
Team Rowland started in 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina at the Tour de Fox Blue Ridge and has now grown to encompass more than 150 rides, 50 volunteers, and more than 1,000 donors with a shared goal of eradicating Parkinson’s disease by directly supporting Parkinson’s research programs.
Now in its eighth year of fundraising, Team Rowland has surpassed $1.6 million in donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Parkinson Association of Alabama.
David Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair, John N. Whitaker Endowed Chair in the UAB Department of Neurology, has participated in the ride three times, completing both the 15- and 30-mile distances.
“It is a great event, with a strong sense of both purpose and companionship, set in beautiful Oak Mountain State Park," Standaert said.
From a research perspective, Standaert added, “This event raises support that is critical to ongoing work at UAB and around the world to find the cure for Parkinson’s disease."