On April 4, Team Fox hosted its 8th Annual MVP Awards Dinner at Gotham Hall in New York City. This special evening recognized top fundraisers from 2013. Over 400 Team Fox members traveled from all over the world to take part of this magical evening that many say “feels like a family reunion.”
Susan Bilotta, 2012's top fundraiser who raised over $271,000, had the honor of introducing Michael J. Fox for his remarks. Expanding her involvement from her annual Tips for Parkinson's event, Susan also participated in her first NYC Marathon this past Fall and she let the audience know exactly why she ran, “Something else that amazes me is that Michael J. Fox would get me, the non-runner, to run 26.2 miles with four phenomenal Team Fox friends. Yes I ran the 26.2 miles because Michael asked me. You try saying no to Michael J. Fox!”
The main portion of evening included recognizing the year's top 10 fundraisers. Special awards were given to the four members/events that broke the $200,000 mark including James Little, Edna Woods of New England Parkinson’s Ride, Susan Bilotta of Tips for Parkinson’s and 2013 top fundraiser Danville d’Elegance. Representatives from each event were welcomed on stage to receive an award from Michael.
Team Fox member Ellen Kelly was this year’s guest speaker and she shared with the room the many hats of involvement that she wears; caregiver, mother, wife, and fundraiser. Michael Kelly, Ellen’s husband, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and their family has spent the last five years beign proactive with their time and efforts. Ellen finished her speech saying, “I hope the point I am trying to make is clear: the positive energy working together to find a cure is infectious and one energized event just leads to another, all while having the Michael J. Fox foundation and Team Fox behind us.”
The night was memorable and filled with love and inspiration. We’re lucky enough to have caught some of it on film. Watch this year’s MVP Award's Dinner video:
As our Team Fox community continues to grow, so do our fundraising goals. With 100% of Team Fox proceeds going directly to research, we have an opportunity to encourage new and returning members to boost their impact on funding projects that will speed better treatments for Parkinson's. As such, please note that the fundraising minimum to attend the 9th Annual MVP Awards Dinner in April 2015 will be increasing to $3,500. This dinner provides a unique opportunity for us to recognize the hard work and dedication of our top members; we hope to see you next April!