A Country Thing Happened On the Way to Cure Parkinson’s Wows its Largest Crowd Yet

Over 1 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease, and, according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s recently released Economic Burden report, more than 23,000 of them live in Tennessee. Behind these statistics are real people, and surrounding them are even more people — loved ones, who are also, in their own way, touched by the disease. This support was on full display at the fourth annual A Country Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s, benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson’s Research. 

This year’s crowd — the event’s largest yet — descended on Belmont University’s Fisher Center for Performing Arts clad in country-chic attire. The evening, part culinary experience and part A-list concert, always promises to be a hit. Jake Howell, Peninsula chef and James Beard Award winner, treated guests to dishes that showed the breadth of his culinary skills. And performances by Little Big Town and Eric Church, as well as comic sets from Dusty Slay, Aaron Weber and Maggie Hughes DePalo, offered an evening of entertainment and laughter. 

Emcee Willie Geist warmly welcomed guests and acknowledged the man who brought everyone together. “Our North Star, right from the beginning of this long, difficult journey, has been a man named Michael J. Fox,” he said, referencing Fox’s own experience with Parkinson’s disease and his efforts to find a cure.

And then, in a hushed moment, the house went dark. The curtain rose, the stage lights blazed to life and there, onstage, was Little Big Town. The band opened with “Boondocks,” its first top 10 hit, as crowd members sang, clapped and tapped their feet. Band member Kimberly Schlapman spoke about the impact MJFF has had on her family. She shared that her mother is living with Parkinson’s disease, and the condition demands resilience from both patients and caregivers. “We’ve learned what strength looks like,” Schlapman said. “We’ve learned what perseverance looks like. And we’ve learned we are not in this alone.”

Finding a cure for Parkinson’s is a group effort. And the evening exemplified the power of community, raising $1.5 million toward the foundation’s ultimate fundraising goal of $2.5 billion.