The Michael J. Fox Foundation Launches think/able: Miles for a Cure, a Month-long Challenge to Raise $50,000 for Parkinson's Research

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) has created think/able: Miles for a Cure, calling on the Parkinson's community to walk, run, or bike a collective 50,000 miles to raise funds for research. For 30 days only, medical technology company Medtronic will match miles tracked through the Charity Miles smartphone application (app) with dollars up to $50,000.

"Miles for a Cure offers a great way for our community to take action and help raise $50,000 in 30 days," said Debi Brooks, co-founder and executive vice chairman of MJFF. "This challenge is a limited opportunity to turn important everyday movement activities – running, walking, and biking – into a collective fundraising effort for critical Parkinson's research."

From October 5 through November 3, anyone can participate in the challenge by visiting the Miles for a Cure Web page (www.michaeljfox.org/milesforacure) and either downloading the Charity Miles app for smartphones, which records miles covered using GPS technology, or using an online form to record miles daily. Miles for a Cure will also host "Triple Miles Weekend," October 26-27, when miles tracked through the Charity Miles app will be matched with $3 each by Medtronic.

"We are proud to partner with The Michael J. Fox Foundation on this fun and important challenge," said Lothar Krinke, PhD, vice president and general manager of the Deep Brain Stimulation business at Medtronic. "In addition to motivating people across the country to get out and be active, funds raised through this month-long challenge will fund vital research efforts intended to help people with Parkinson's disease. This fits perfectly within our company's mission to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for people worldwide."

Patient focus has been the core value of the Foundation's research efforts since its inception in 2000. MJFF has a strong track record of efficiency, with 89 cents of every dollar spent going straight to the research effort toward breakthroughs patients can feel in their everyday lives.

"Staying active and exercising has been essential for me to live well with the disease," says Bob Harmon, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2006. "Now when I go for a walk or a run, I know it's not just for me. It's giving back and helping to fund a cure."

Visit www.michaeljfox.org/milesforacure to help raise $50,000 for MJFF by November 3.

To hear more about the research efforts of MJFF or to find out how you can become a part of the MJFF community, please visit www.michaeljfox.org.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
The Michael J. Fox Foundation exists for one reason: to find the cure for Parkinson's disease in our lifetime. Parkinson's is the second most common brain disease, estimated to affect one in 100 individuals over age 60. Founded by Michael J. Fox in 2000, the Foundation has quickly grown to become the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research globally, with over $350 million in research funded to date, and has been called "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world" by The New York Times. As Michael returns to network television full-time after more than two decades living with Parkinson's disease, the Foundation has launched think/able, a project celebrating the power of optimism and determination to overcome challenges and achieve our biggest goals.

For more information, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Web and LinkedIn.

About Medtronic DBS Therapy
More than 100,000 patients worldwide have received Medtronic DBS Therapy, which uses a surgically implanted medical device, similar to a pacemaker, to deliver mild electrical pulses to precisely targeted areas of the brain.

The therapy is currently approved in many locations around the world, including Europe and the United States, for the treatment of the disabling symptoms of essential tremor, advanced Parkinson's disease and chronic intractable primary dystonia, for which approval in the United States is under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE). In Europe, Canada and Australia, DBS therapy is approved for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. DBS therapy is also approved for the treatment of severe, treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder in the European Union and Australia, and in the United States under an HDE. The stimulation can be programmed and adjusted non-invasively by a trained clinician to maximize symptom control and minimize side effects.

About Charity Miles
Charity Miles is a free iPhone/Android app that enables people to earn corporate sponsorships for charity when they walk, run or bike. Charity Miles has been widely recognized as one of the top fitness apps of 2013 and has won several awards, including the SXSW Dewey Winburne Award for Community Service and the SXSW People's Choice Award for the entire 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival.

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation