- More than $16M total now raised by Nike to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation
- Final pair of Nike Mag shoes to be auctioned at Foundation's gala November 12 in New York City
NEW YORK -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) today announced that the Draw for the Nike Mag raised $6.75 million, 100 percent of which will go straight to high-impact programs to accelerate a cure for Parkinson's disease.
The Draw and auctions featured a limited-edition release of 88 pairs of the iconic self-lacing shoe, with the final 89th pair to be auctioned to the highest bidder at the Foundation's benefit gala on November 12 in New York City. The world leader in athletic footwear and apparel has now contributed a total of more than $16 million since 2011 to the Foundation's mission to eradicate Parkinson's disease.
"Thanks to Nike, we've raised a boatload of money for research and we've had tons of fun while doing it," said Michael J. Fox. "We're grateful to everyone who's engaged in our work and we welcome those who have come to learn more about us through this amazing partnership."
One final chance remains to own the Nike Mag and a piece of pop culture history. The only remaining pair of Nike Mag shoes will be auctioned next month at MJFF's benefit gala, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's" in New York.
Through the Draw for the Nike Mag, Nike set out to raise millions for research, activating new audiences worldwide to support the critical unmet medical need in Parkinson's disease. Nike and MJFF made the Nike Mag available to everyone through an online draw, with each entry a $10 donation to MJFF. Sneakerheads, pop culture aficionados and the Parkinson's community all enthusiastically entered for a chance to win. What's more, donations in the last 12 hours of the Draw were matched dollar-for-dollar by an anonymous donor.
The Draw ran from October 4 to 11, with hundreds of thousands of entries managed using the nonprofit funding platform RallyUp.com. The lucky winners were notified on October 17.
Pairs of the Nike Mag also were auctioned in Hong Kong on October 11 and London on October 14, generating an additional $160,000 combined.
"It's been an honor to work with Michael and his Foundation over the years on such an important mission," said Mark Parker, Chairman, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc. "We could never have imagined when we started this journey 30 years ago it would have such a wide-reaching effect -- and we can't wait for what's next."
History of the Nike Mag and the Nike-MJFF Partnership
Famously worn on the silver screen by Michael J. Fox, the Nike Mag shoe has since become a cultural icon, captivating sneaker and movie fans worldwide.
Nike has now channeled the excitement of the Mag shoe in 2011 and 2016, infusing it with new meaning in benefit of the Parkinson's community.
In 2011, a version of the Nike Mag was built for the Foundation in a limited-edition run of 1,500 pairs. These were auctioned on eBay over a 10-day period, raising nearly $5 million which was matched dollar-for-dollar to bring the total raised that year to nearly $10 million. Nike spent years developing new technology that senses the wearer and tightens for each unique foot. On October 4, the revolutionary adaptive-fit Nike Mag was delivered to the world through the now-completed Draw.
# # #
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $650 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
For more information, visit us at michaeljfox.org, on Facebook or Twitter.
About Nike, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, Nike's earnings releases and other financial information are available at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also visit http://news.nike.com and follow @Nike.