Four teams of golfers with PD representing England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – will go head-to-head to see who will take victory for their nation this October, whilst demonstrating the importance of exercise in treating the condition and raising much needed funds for Cure Parkinson’s and the Sport Parkinson’s Healthy and Strong Fund
They will enjoy a day of practice time before teeing off competitively for two days of friendly competition, with assistance on the final day from celebrities and sponsors. The celebrity golf captain of England is Mike Tindall, a long-time supporter of the PD community and patron of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.
The experience will be rounded off with a Gala Dinner with the celebrities, sponsors and golfers in attendance, raising much needed funds through the auction of one-off experiences and items, and no doubt the accompaniment of tales from the world of music, rugby, and golf.
“Through the Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic, I help raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease but when I was asked to head up this event to help 32 people with Parkinson’s take part in a international competition, I saw it as a great chance to get the PD battlers on the front line, showing that it is possible to play the great sport of golf despite a PD diagnosis. We are going to make the event a fun, relaxed and friendly event but I would love to take the trophy ahead of the other nations at the end of the competition!”
MIKE TINDALL, ENGLAND CELEBRITY CAPTAIN
The chance to make these opportunities available to the PD golfing community at large, and to raise money to support charities making a difference in the UK does not come often for all involved. We would like to encourage companies to participate by sponsoring this worthwhile event or buying tickets for the entertaining gala dinner.
“Golf is a fantastic sport for people with Parkinson’s to take part in. It gets you walking, stretching, multi-tasking, talking, socialising and concentrating whilst being a lot of fun and getting you out in the fresh air. We wanted to raise awareness of the benefits of golf for people with Parkinson’s, engage the support of sponsors and celebrities to help us raise a significant amount of money for Cure Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK. May the best country win! However, it is just as important to build a supportive community of PD Battlers who can help each other through the Parkinson’s journey.”
CHARLIE APPLEYARD, DIRECTOR, SPORT PARKINSON’S
To participate in this wonderful event the requirement is that you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, have a handicap index of 24 or lower, and will raise a minimum sum of £500 player sponsorship (or self-sponsor) .
If you are interested in participating in the tournament and require more information, attending the gala, sponsoring or donating to the event please contact claire@sportparkinsons.org
You will be able to follow the progress of the golfers and teams live throughout the tournament, and if you wish, sponsor them and the teams on their pages!
We would like to thank the sponsors and you can check out the work that they do with our community below as we publish and also on the player and team profile sections.