From left to right, top to bottom: Team Fox NOLA, Shaken Not Stirred, A Walk in the Woods, Team Fox NYC Young Professionals and Team Rowland Road Series
For two decades, Team Fox members have turned their passions into progress for Parkinson’s research. Bike rides, bowling nights, walks, galas, golf tournaments and gatherings among friends have grown into a global grassroots community that has raised more than $186 million for The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF).
In 2026, seven remarkable Team Fox fundraisers will reach the 10- or 15-year mark. Each began with a personal reason to act. Over time, their families, friends and neighbors turned that initial spark into enduring communities that continue to raise critical funds, increase Parkinson’s awareness and remind people affected by the disease that they are not alone.
Recognizing 10 Years
Team Fox Detroit: A Motor City Community Driven to Find a Cure
Donna and Mike Rajkovic founded Team Fox Detroit in 2016, bringing together a community united by a determination to help end Parkinson’s disease (PD). The group’s calendar has included gala evenings, golf outings, bowling events and marathon participation. Within its first five years, Team Fox Detroit raised over $1 million for Parkinson’s research.
Ten years later, the team has raised more than $1.4 million and is setting its sights on its next ambitious milestone: $2 million.
To recognize its 10th year, Team Fox Detroit is returning to the place where its signature gala began. The 2026 Team Fox in the D event is scheduled for September 19 at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit, the site of the group’s inaugural gala.
“What I can say is that these past 10 years of Team Fox Detroit represent hope, resilience and the power of community,” Donna said. “What began as my personal journey with Parkinson’s has grown into something so much bigger. It has become a mission fueled by love, support and the belief that together, we can help change the future.”
At the center of the team is Donna, whose leadership extends beyond fundraising. Through speaking engagements, advocacy and community-building, she has consistently focused attention on the urgent need to fund and speed promising research.
Team Rowland Road Series: Pedaling Past $2 Million
The Rowland family’s journey began when Mike Rowland’s parents participated in MJFF’s Tour de Fox Blue Ridge Ride in his honor. After that experience, Mike and Stacy Rowland decided to bring a ride home to Birmingham, Alabama.
What followed was extraordinary.
The event grew from a local ride into the Team Rowland Road Series, supported by more than 150 riders, 50 volunteers and over 1,000 donors. Earlier iterations adapted through changing circumstances, including a socially distanced and virtual ride that attracted 74 cyclists and raised more than $130,000.
In its 10th and final year, Team Rowland is crossing the $2 million mark — an achievement reached by only a small number of Team Fox community events. The 2026 ride is scheduled for October 3 at Oak Mountain State Park, continuing the Birmingham tradition that the Rowlands built one mile, donor and determined cyclist at a time.
"This milestone represents the huge progress that is being made, so that my kids don't have to hear the same diagnosis I did,” Mike said.
Shaken Not Stirred: Carrying the Harmon Family Legacy Forward
For the Harmons, Team Fox has always been a family undertaking.
After Bob Harmon’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, he and his family turned quickly to action. Bob launched Golf for a Cure in Florida in 2010, while members of the family also became involved in support, education and research participation.
In 2017, Bob’s daughter, Kate, and her husband, Matthew Davis, created a fundraiser of their own: Shaken Not Stirred, a cocktail event in York, Pennsylvania. Over nine years, the event has raised more than $250,000.
Their commitment has grown beyond the fundraiser itself. Kate works to support Team Fox fundraisers across the East Coast with MJFF and, beginning in 2024, the event weekend also incorporated a community Parkinson’s forum. In its third year, they bring accessible research and educational programming to more than 90 attendees and remind people what Bob wanted them to know — they are not alone.
After Bob’s passing, the family’s work took on new meaning. Months after his passing, the family received the Team Fox Legacy of Impact Award at MJFF’s MVP Celebration Weekend in Bob’s honor. In 2026, they brought the Florida golf tournament back for one more year to thank his community for being a part of his journey. Together, the revived tournament and Shaken Not Stirred represent more than two successful events. They are part of a family legacy — one generation inspiring the next to keep pushing toward better treatments and a cure.
“Dad always said do what you love,” Kate said. “It’s the honor of my life to continue his legacy in my personal and professional life. He’s with me after we shake or stir, and every time I’m supporting another Team Fox fundraiser doing their events for their loved ones. One day, we’ll end this, so no other daughter loses their father. And he’ll be there when it happens.”
Team Fox NOLA: Striking Up Community through Pins for Parkinson’s
When Madison Hurwitz Gettes learned of her father’s PD diagnosis, she wanted to take action — but discovered that New Orleans did not yet have a local Team Fox group. So, in 2016, she started one.
A small circle of friends has since become Team Fox NOLA, a vibrant network of young professionals connected by a common mission.
Its signature bowling event, Pins for Parkinson’s, has raised more than $250,000. The group’s impact, however, reaches far beyond the bowling lanes. Its members have cultivated spaces for connection and support, particularly for people living with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. Members of the community have also taken their commitment to new heights, including joining Team Fox’s Mount Kilimanjaro climb.
“Celebrating 10 years with Team Fox is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Madison. “What began as a way to support my dad in his fight against Parkinson's has become a journey filled with purpose, hope and an incredible community. I've seen firsthand the strength and resilience of families facing this disease, and I've been inspired by the generosity of those who believe in a future without Parkinson's. Every dollar raised represents hope — for my dad, for the millions of people living with Parkinson's, and for the breakthroughs that will one day change lives."
Team Fox NOLA shows how grassroots fundraising can create a powerful ripple effect. An event raises money. A conversation builds awareness. A new friendship becomes a source of support. And, year after year, a community becomes stronger.
Shuck Parkinson’s: Turning Entrepreneurship into Action
Alexandra Cherubini launched Shuck Parkinson’s in 2017 as a large cocktail and oyster event inspired by her family’s connection to the disease.
Although the original event has not continued annually in the same format, Alexandra has kept the Shuck Parkinson’s name — and its mission — moving forward. Through smaller gatherings, individual fundraising and support generated through her business, EquiFit, she has continued to direct resources toward Parkinson’s research.
Her dedication has also included service within the broader Foundation community, including roles on Team Fox leadership and event committees. Shuck Parkinson’s has become an example of how a fundraiser can evolve without losing its purpose. The format may change, but the commitment remains.
As Alexandra marks 10 years of fundraising, the milestone honors both her sustained leadership and the memory of her mother, Barbara. It is a reminder that there is no single way to be part of Team Fox: A fundraiser can be an event, a business initiative, an annual gift or a lifelong promise to keep working toward a cure.
Recognizing 15 Years
A Walk in the Woods: One Community’s Steady Steps toward a Cure
For 15 years, Susan Pelchat has combined fundraising, education and local support in honor of her husband.
A former teacher known for her organization and tenacity, Susan has raised more than $150,000 for Team Fox while also supporting local Parkinson’s resources and leading a successful community support group. Her fundraising has consistently generated around $10,000 annually for Parkinson’s research.
When Susan shared the story behind her walk with MJFF in 2015, she described her determination to do everything in her power to help bring an end to Parkinson’s. That determination has carried her through more than a decade of service.
The Torrington Area Parkinson's Support Group also provides education, funding exercise and vocal programs, providing care partner support and camaraderie to all who choose to benefit.
“Each time a test, treatment or medicine is developed, funded by a MJFF grant, we stand a little taller, knowing that our Walk in the Woods for Parkinson's has helped make dreams a reality,” Susan said.
The success of A Walk in the Woods is rooted in consistency. Susan has demonstrated that progress does not always arrive through one enormous moment. Sometimes, it is built through years of careful planning, meaningful relationships and the decision to take another step, and then another toward a future without Parkinson’s.
Team Fox NYC Young Professionals: 15 Years of the Foxy Gala
For 15 years, the Team Fox NYC Young Professionals have brought together the next generation of Parkinson’s supporters through the Foxy Gala.
The event has grown into a marquee evening attended by hundreds of New Yorkers. In 2026, the group welcomed more than 600 guests and raised over $300,000 for research. Across its history, the Young Professionals group has generated more than $1.5 million for MJFF.
Now led by a dedicated volunteer board, including Natalie Distler and Sophia Michaels, with Tim Distler chairing the gala, the group has created much more than an annual celebration. Members also organize smaller events, support community connections and participate in Parkinson’s advocacy.
As far back as 2022, the group was approaching its first $1 million raised. Its continued growth demonstrates what is possible when young professionals combine their networks, creativity and energy behind a shared cause.
"The Foxy Gala has become far more than I think any of us could have ever dreamed it would be,” said Natalie. “It represents the heart and soul of what it means to be a part of Team Fox — community in the highest form, coming together and pouring into a shared belief in a better world — one without Parkinson's."
More than Milestones
Milestones offer a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come — and to look ahead at what’s possible.
The Team Fox members reaching the 10- and 15-year marks in 2026 have navigated change, loss, new event formats and evolving community needs. Through it all, they have remained grounded in the same belief: Research holds the key to better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s disease.