COUNTDOWN TO RIDE DAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

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Team Fox

Our Story

When Chris Woods, an avid cyclist, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 41, the mission of the Woods family, with his 73 year old mom, Edna, leading the charge, was to find a cycling event that raised money specifically for Parkinson’s research.  For years Chris had been riding in the 150 mile Diabetes ride and the 150 mile MS ride but had never heard of one for PD.  After much research, it became clear that there was nothing in the country, let alone the New England area, so the family decided to organize their own!

The New England Parkinson’s Ride took shape in the summer of 2008, and linked up with Team Fox at The Michael J Fox Foundation.  Although we had only 35 riders that first year, we managed to raise over $27,000 for The Foundation.  We started with a 30, 50, and 100 mile loop, with 10 rest stops manned by volunteers along the way, and added a 10 mile route in 2009, to accommodate younger families and less experienced cyclists. A 62 mile route debuted in 2022 for those looking for the metric century experience. All routes begin and end at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and travel through the countryside and shoreline of beautiful southern Maine.

The Ride has grown at an incredible rate over the past fifteen years and though 2019 drew over 1300 cyclists, from 27 states and 3 provinces of Canada to The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach, 2020 brought a host of new challenges. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to ride together in OOB but that didn’t stop our ride family! Our 2020 Ride: Cycling In Sync brought out over 1000 cyclists in 50 states and 7 countries, who rode together…yet apart.

We are humbled and thrilled to share that the 2023 New England Parkinson’s Ride raised an astounding $1.55 million! That brings our cumulative donations for The Michael J. Fox Foundation to over $11 million since the inception of the Ride.

For 10 years in a row, the New England Parkinson’s Ride has been honored by Michael J. Fox himself as the largest independent single-day fundraising event for Team Fox in the entire country! 

Celebrating 15 Years of Gears & Cheers at the 2023 Ride!

Michael and Debi Brooks, share birthday wishes for Edna’s 85th Birthday at our 12th Annual Ride!

Watch our Ride Family Cycle in Sync from across the world in 2020!

Michael J Fox thanks the New England Parkinson’s Ride – September 2017:

Watch a personal thank you from Michael when we hit the $1 million dollar mark:

A special shout out from Akbar Gbaja-Biamila!

Watch a piece of our history from 2016!

Although our primary goal is to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s disease, we like to think of our event as a “weekend at the beach, with a ride thrown in for fun”.  Riders of all ages and abilities are welcome so it can become a wonderful family tradition or a weekend away with your cycling buddies.  We now have entertainment, concessions, & vendors, so it’s a great way to spend a day, even if you’re just a spectator.   Though all rides are completed in one day, there are many hotels in the area where friends and family can stay and play. Refer to the OOB Chamber of Commerce Vacation Planner for local accommodations.

In addition, we offer a Pre-Ride Dinner on Friday nightwhere cyclists can socialize and check-in ahead of time for the morning’s ride.  This is a special night and tickets sell out fast. Information on reservations for the Pre-Ride dinner is sent out to all registered riders and volunteers as we get closer to the Ride!

Our founders - Edna and Bob Woods

Our founders: Edna and Bob Woods

The New England Parkinson’s Ride obtained our 501(c)(3) status as a charitable organization in March of 2013 and, with the exception of the Executive Director and two part-time staff members, is run exclusively by volunteers.  We are extremely grateful to our SPONSORS, as we rely solely on those dollars and registration fees for all operational expenses of The New England Parkinson’s Ride.   

100% of the money raised by our cyclists goes directly to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research!