After a valiant 12-year fight, my mom, Merrie Boone, passed away from Parkinson’s Disease in July 2014.  PD  is a degenerative neurological movement disorder. It’s a brutal disease that currently has no cure.

Mom fought PD with grit and grace. She refused to allow the disease to define her, and she lived her life fully and with optimism until the day she died. Her bravery inspired our family to become involved in the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has provided support and community to all of us.

As Team Merrie Miles, we have run races, climbed mountains and flipped enough pancakes to feed an army. With more than 20 members, we’ve raised over $350K for the Michael J. Fox Foundation over 4 years.