SAN JOSE, CA,–The Parkinson’s Foundation will host Moving Day San Jose on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Lake Cunningham. More than 400 people are expected to take part in movement demonstrations and a 5K walk to beat Parkinson’s. The family-friendly, in-person event is one of 45 Moving Days taking place across the country in 2023. Funds raised through Moving Day support cutting-edge research, improved quality of care and education programs to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease and their families.

Moving Day is more than just a walk. It is a celebration of movement, which is critical in battling the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The event in San Jose will be fun and inspiring, including demonstrations of boxing and other movement disciplines to warm up the crowd for the walk. It is estimated that one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s, with approximately 90,000 people newly diagnosed each year. Moving Day events across the country have raised nearly $40 million supporting the Parkinson’s Foundation’s mission to make life better for people with Parkinson’s disease.

This year the California Chapter of the Parkinson’s Foundation will be honoring the Rock Steady Fighters team led by Freddy Silva at Moving Day San Jose. Silva has been a professional boxing coach, cutman, and advocate in the Parkinson’s community. Since 2008, he has been a Rock Steady Boxing operator and for the past nine years has owned Rock Steady Boxing Peninsula, Silicon Valley and San Jose.

Silva’s career in boxing has taken him all over the world giving him the opportunity to achieve things that he never would have dreamed of. The biggest gift boxing has given him, besides watching young people achieve their dreams and reach their fullest potential, has been his involvement with Rock Steady Boxing and seeing people with Parkinson’s continue to strive through the sport that he loves more than anything besides his family.

When asked why he is supporting the Parkinson’s Foundation and Moving Day, Silva says, “Moving Day is the one community event, I feel that truly brings everyone with Parkinson’s, everyone working with Parkinson’s, or everyone that loves someone with Parkinson’s together.”

The Rock Steady Fighters team has raised over $125,000 for Moving Day San Jose since 2016.

Fundraising at the walk is important but so is the social aspect. “Moving Day is vital not only because it is our largest fundraising event of the year, but because it brings the Parkinson’s community together,” said Gena Lennon, Development Director for PF’s California Chapter. “This community really supports each other and Silva does an amazing job bringing energy and hope to all his fighters,” she continued.

To learn more about Moving Day San Jose and how you, your family and friends, and your company can get involved, please visit MovingDaySanJose.org. Moving Day is made possible, in part, through the generous support of national and local partners including Amneal, Kyowa Kirin, Acorda, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Acadia, Supernus, and Star One Credit Union.

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About the Parkinson’s Foundation

The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience, and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. Since 1957, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested more than $400 million in Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson’s Disease

Affecting an estimated one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.