MINNESOTA, USA — Mike Adkinson, 76, has just completed the ultimate summer road trip, which he set out on in May.
The Whatcom County retiree wanted to support his brother who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and said he felt compelled to create more awareness for the increasingly common disease.
“I had no idea it was affecting so many people and I figured my new job should be making a difference and supporting people like my brother who are looking for answers,” Adkinson said.
An estimated 10 million people around the world are battling Parkinson’s disease. Around 60,000 people will be diagnosed each year in America. This doesn’t account for the thousands that go undetected. Parkinson's disease is the fasted growing neurological disease in the world and is expected to outpace Alzheimer's by 2040.
Atkinson hatched an ambitious plan in May. He promised to pull a trailer with his John Deere tractor more than 1,700 miles from Bellingham to Minnesota. Mike says his goal was to raise awareness and to have as many conversations as possible during his fundraising mission.
“The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) in Seattle is doing amazing things and it’s not just about research, it’s about quality of life and providing resources to people at home,” said Adkinson.
He admits he’s still learning about the progressive nervous system disorder but knows he can raise money to support the people who do. His 10-mile-per-hour top speed John Deere pulled a modest trailer that’s covered in community sponsors and a QR code where curious passers-by could scan and donate to the APDA.
His goal was $50,000 and the Northwest chapter of the APDA admits they thought the idea was lofty.
“We were in awe. We thought was crazy until we met Mike. When we got to know him we realized he was going to make it happen and that was exciting,” said APDA Executive Director Jean Allenbach.
Allenbach said the timing of the Tractor Trip for Parkinson’s hit home for her.
“Year’s ago I discovered my neighbor across the street has Parkinson’s, next door to her was her father and down the street an uncle had Parkinson’s but nobody was talking about it. This November my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”
The interstate journey concluded in Perch Lake, Minnesota where his brother-in-law was in need of a tractor.
“We had been talking for a while about his need for a tractor and when my brother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s I thought it was a unique opportunity to do something big by helping my family in Minnesota and showing people like my brother that some of us are out here fighting for people with Parkinson’s and their caretakers,” said Adkinson.
He admits the most memorable part of his journey was the people he met. “So many people had stories about Parkinson’s in their family and it’s something I’ll never forget.”
At the conclusion of Adkinson's journey, he dipped a tractor tire in the lake for good measure. The journey was long and the donations were generous. A check for more than $52,000 will be awarded to the Seattle offices of the APDA and there’s still time to donate!
“We represent 5 states with our chapter and have just three and a half employees, so fifty thousand dollars is a very big deal to us and we are so thrilled,” said Allenbach. The donation will help to fund APDA education programs, exercise and wellness classes and supporting research for Parkinson’s disease.