Lake St. Clair Fun Run Raises $150,000 For Michigan Parkinson Foundation
As of yesterday, the annual Fun Run on Lake St. Clair had raised $500,000 for the Michigan Parkinson Foundation. That’s not bad for what was then a three-year-old, grassroots boating event.
As of today, the run has raised more than $650,000 for the nonprofit organization. That’s a nice milestone for a now-four-year-old happening.
The fourth annual event attracted 65 registered boats and more than 400 participants. Photos by Brad DiMaggio copyright Scrapyard Media
As of this evening, organizers Matt Floore, Randal Pagel and Danny Lichocki were enjoying dinner at Cabana Blue Bar and Grill in Clay Township, the start-and-finish point for the four-stop event. That they are just coming to grips with today’s 65-boat, 400-plus-participant happening is only natural.
“It will probably hit me tomorrow,” Floore said. “But it was great and, fortunately, the weather held out. It didn’t start raining until an hour-and-a-half ago and we were finished by then.”
Floore’s now 66-year-old mother, Mary, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, as previously reported on speedonthewater.com. That led the trio of powerboat owners to produce a boating event with its proceeds going to the Michigan Chapter of the Parkinson Foundation.
In its first year, the run attracted 25 to 30 boats and raised $60,000 to $70,000 for the organization.
The scene at Harsen’s Island today.
High-performance marine industry sponsors this year included American Custom Marine, a Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats dealer in Kimball, Mich., and Lakeside Formula in St. Clair Shores. WC Beardslee Marina Service Center on Harsens Island also backed the event.
Mellow out from a day on the water preceded by months of planning, Floore and company vowed to bring back the run next year.
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Enjoy more images from today’s Fun Run on Lake St. Clair
Said Floore, “Will keep coming back for as long as the Parkinson Foundation of Michigan will have us. And it seems like that’s going to be a long time.”
The fourth annual event benefitting the Michigan Parkinson Foundation is in the books, but the event will return next year.
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