An Evening of Stars and Cars to Support Those Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease
More than 200 people gathered at Reno’s National Automobile Museum this past April for Music & Motion, an event that raised funds to benefit the Parkinson Support Center of Northern Nevada. The Parkinson Support Center of Northern Nevada aids the more than 5000 people in the High Sierra region living with Parkinson’s disease. Music & Motion was presented by Drive Toward a Cure, a nonprofit that has raised more than $1 million since 2016 to support research and patient care for those suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Vanessa Williams, the multi-award-winning singer/actress/producer, moderated a discussion with notable luminaries including Dr. Deanna Brown Thomas, the daughter of “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown; Rasheda Ali Walsh, the daughter of “the Greatest,” Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali; along with professional off-road athlete Shelby Hall, a Reno native and granddaughter of Rod Hall, the most decorated off-road racer and Hall of Fame inductee. Both Ali and Hall struggled publicly with Parkinson’s disease.
The open discussion and forum included personal memories from each of the panelist’s family members. Automotive-centric anecdotes featured Mr. Ali’s Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, in which he would gather all his children for rides through Los Angeles, to James Brown’s 1941 Lincoln and various Cadillac convertibles. Shelby Hall recalled how she, together with her then near-80-year-old grandfather, competed and completed the NORRA Mexican 1000 in 2016, an adventure rally with competitors from racing icons to current stars. The event was the last in which Hall was able to drive his beloved Bronco, despite having to be lifted into the race-prepared truck due to his own debilitation from Parkinson’s.
Among the automotive highlights of the evening was the rare Jaguar C-type driven by the legendary Phil Hill, America’s first Formula One champion. Hill also battled Parkinson’s for a number of years and died from its complications in 2008 at the age of 81. The foundation’s association with Hill dates to the early beginnings of Drive Toward a Cure and was the inspiration for the organization first teaming Cars and Camaraderie to raise awareness for Parkinson’s.
All proceeds from the evening’s event and silent auction will go directly to the Parkinson Support Center of Northern Nevada. Since its inception in 2021, the center has embarked on a financial journey to raise $500,000 over the next five years to create a facility that will continue to bring together the Parkinson’s community in northern Nevada with expanded support services, educational programming, and continued advocacy. For more information, to volunteer or join the local Reno area Parkinson’s community, view www.pscnn.org
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