Second Baseman Officially Launches “Out of Park” Campaign
Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham is making a donation to the National Parkinson Foundation for every home run that he hits during the 2010 season and is asking his fans to join him. “Out of the Park for Parkinson’s” is an awareness campaign the second baseman officially launched today in partnership with the National Parkinson Foundation, to help end Parkinson’s disease.
Beckham and his family understand the challenges of Parkinson’s firsthand: his grandfather has been living with the disease for nearly a decade.
“Living and helping my grandfather cope with Parkinson’s has given me an up-close look at the suffering it causes,” said Beckham. “I want to do something to raise awareness and funds to help eradicate the disease so future generations do not have to go through what our family countless others have been through with Parkinson’s.”
Gordon Beckham fans can visit www.outofthepark.org to make a donation and help the cause:
- Per Home Run Pledge Superstar: Make a pledge per home run.
- World Series Champion: $1000 donation guarantees a ticket to attend a post-season bash with Gordon.
- All Star: $500 donation
- Gordon’s #1 Fan: $250 donation.
- Major League Fan: $100 donation
- Team Player: $50 donation.
All proceeds benefit the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF), a national, non-profit organization that funds research, education and outreach programs to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease. NPF has a strong presence in Chicago, Ill., supporting the work of Northwestern University’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center, NPF Center of Excellence, as well as the local NPF chapter, the Parkinson Association of Illinois (PAIL).
About the National Parkinson Foundation
The National Parkinson Foundation supports a strong network of 43 Centers of Excellence dedicated to excellence in research and providing comprehensive, interdisciplinary care to more than 50,000 Parkinson’s patients and their families worldwide. Founded in 1957, the National Parkinson Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson’s disease through research, education, and outreach. Since 1982, NPF has funded more than $150 million in care, research and support services.
About Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s with an estimated one million people with the disease in the United States and four to six million worldwide. At present, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.