Each year, approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that worsens over time.
Following the death of dopamine-producing brain cells, which coordinate movement, individuals with Parkinson’s can experience tremors and stiffness, as well as issues with speech, walking and balance. There is currently no cure for the disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 6 million people worldwide.
Seeking to raise awareness of the disease and money to battle it, UVA student Mary McNaught (now Mary Yonkman) started Pancakes for Parkinson’s in 2003. Each year since then, students host a huge outdoor pancake breakfast for the UVA and Charlottesville communities, often serving more than 1,000 regular, gluten-free, chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes to more than 1,000 people on UVA’s Lawn.
Solely through donations, Pancakes for Parkinson’s is able to raise thousands of dollars for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is dedicated to finding a cure for the disease and to developing improved therapies.
After raising more than $30,000 in the 2020 pandemic year, despite the lack of an in-person event, Pancakes for Parkinson’s organizers are aiming to match pre-COVID-19 fundraising totals at this year’s event, to be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., setting the goal at $70,000.
