Chuck Kistler running the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The following story will appear in our Spring/Summer 2025 edition of The Fox Focus on Parkinson’s newsletter.
Chuck Kistler, 41, of Charlotte, North Carolina, spent 2015 chasing a goal: running a half marathon every month. As the year went on, he wanted a bigger finish. He signed up for the Walt Disney World® Dopey Challenge in January 2016, where he would run a 5K, a 10K, a half marathon and a full marathon in just four days.
At mile 23 of the marathon, three runners passed him: two in Team Fox singlets and one wearing a shirt that read, “A guy with Parkinson’s just passed you.” Chuck’s father, Dean, had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s a few years earlier, and in that moment, he knew that running could be about more than himself. When he got home, he contacted The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to ask how to get involved.
Chuck’s 2016 fundraising efforts started small, using upcoming races as fundraisers by growing out his hair and beard, dyeing them bold colors and letting donors vote on his next look. He also launched SockItToPD, selling socks and donating all proceeds to MJFF. But as support grew, Chuck saw that fundraising wasn’t just about raising money — it was about community. With friends and family rallying around him and his father, he was driven to do more.
In 2017, Chuck began hosting fundraising dinners at local restaurants, creating a space for people to gather and support research. When Chuck became part owner of a brewery in 2021, he ensured all proceeds from a special beer series would go to MJFF. In 2024, he introduced an annual Pancakes for Parkinson’s breakfast. This year, he’s hosting a semi-formal event, continuing to find new ways to bring people together.
But his dedication goes beyond do-it-yourself events. Over the past nine years, he has represented Team Fox in countless endurance events with more ahead, while also making MJFF part of his estate planning, speaking at research events and helping others get involved. Through it all, he has raised nearly $100,000 for Team Fox, MJFF’s grassroots fundraising program, where 100 percent of proceeds go directly to research.
Since starting his work with MJFF, Chuck has learned that fundraising isn’t about one perfect idea — it’s about trying, adapting and bringing people together.
“You never know when a small effort will turn into something bigger,” he said. “The impact isn’t just in what you do, but in the connections it sparks. You only can’t if you don’t.”
