Schwisow raises $20,000 for Parkinson’s research through New York Marathon

Parkinson’s disease continues to affect nearly a half a million people in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Friends and family of victims are forced to watch their loved ones bear the painful effects of the disease as the brain disorder leads to uncontrollable shaking, stiffness and difficulty with coordination over time.

Although there is no known cure for the disease, there are a variety of fundraisers and organized events held to assist research centers in finding one.

Participants of these events usually have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, or knows someone who has.

Former Ritzville resident Scott Schwisow played a part in the fight against Parkinson’s disease by participating in the New York City Marathon as a team member for the Michael J. Fox Fundraiser Foundation on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Schwisow is a 1981 Ritzville High School graduate who always enjoyed the small town atmosphere the city provides, he said. His parents, Del and Carol Ann Schwisow are long time Ritzville residents. Currently residing in Seattle, Schwisow looks forward to visiting his parents and former community often.

As the vice president of Concur Technologies, he spends a lot of time traveling and managing projects for the company. Running allows Schwisow to decompress and feel a sense of control, he said.

He began his running career with short jogs after work and did not have any interest to participate in a marathon until about 10 years ago.

The New York Marathon is the third marathon Schwisow has completed and by far one of the most special.

The current Seattle resident traveled to the other side of the country to run 26.2 miles on behalf of his mother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about four years ago.

Due to his mother’s condition recently worsening, Schwisow remained determined to support her in any way he could. After hearing about the priorities of the Michael J. Fox Foundation through the New York City Marathon, he immediately applied to be a member of Team Fox.

The New York Marathon is the largest marathon in the world attracting around 50,000 participants and has been an annual event since 1970.

Because Schwisow knew he did not possess the skills to qualify for the marathon, he decided to align with a charity in order to raise funds for Parkinson’s research.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation provided him with the opportunity to support his mother and other victims of the disease through his passion for running.

Being a member of Team Fox recommends participants attempt to raise awareness for the disease through a member website and set a goal of at least $5,000 to be donated to Parkinson’s research.

Schwisow began his fundraising page on Mother’s Day weekend where he set a personal goal of $10,000 by the day of the race. He raised awareness for the cause by reaching out to friends, family and Ritzville community members through email and Facebook.

He quickly became overwhelmed with the amount of support from the Ritzville community and expressed his appreciation for all the contributions he received.

The fundraiser not only gave him the opportunity to showcase support for his mother, but also allowed Schwisow to reconnect with residents he lost touch with, he added.

Schwisow also provided weekly email updates on his progress with his training and fundraiser to generate additional interest for the cause, he added. Over the past year, he ran over 1,000 miles in preparation for the event, which is the most training miles he has ever ran, Schwisow stated.

Aside from spreading awareness through social media, Schwisow also designed t-shirts with his mother’s name on them to provide a visibility attribute to his cause.

As race day drew closer, his goal of $10,000 had been exceeded exponentially and by Nov. 6, he had raised over $21,000. Together, the 150 members of Team Fox raised over 1.6 million dollars for Parkinson’s research, Schwisow announced.

He almost accomplished his goal of completing the race in the top 10,000 runners by finishing as 11,307.

Schwisow expressed his gratitude for those in the Ritzville community who donated to his fundraiser in the search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

He remains inspired by the community’s level of support for his mother and all those living with the disease.