By Mia Padovano
On May 31, a drizzly Saturday morning at Playland, more than 100 people gathered in the parking lot, ready to take off for the first-ever Rye Parkinson’s Walk.
The weather didn’t dampen any spirits ahead of the .8 mile trek around the boardwalk. Families, individuals, and dogs gathered around a table with snacks, ready to show their support.
Gabriela and Sofia Steinmetz founded the Rye Parkinson’s Project last year. Gabriela, Sofia, and their younger brother, Noah spearheaded the project in honor of their father, Jonathan, who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease and stage 4 Lymphoma during the summer of 2021.
“The kids really did all the work,” said Carmelita Chávez, mother of Gabriela, Sofia, and Noah.
Gabriela, a Rye High School junior, said, “I am in charge of the Instagram account @rye_parkinsons_project, organizing the event, and directing volunteers. My sister designed the T-shirts and some of the logistics.” Noah, a 5th grader at Osborn Elementary School, conducted research and created a Parkinson’s Disease fact sheet that he passed out to participants.
It explained that there is no known cure for Parkinson’s.
Creating the fact sheet was Noah’s capstone project at Osborn and helping organize the event was an important effort. “It’s been really hard for my dad the past four years,” he said.
In a speech before the walk began, Jonathan Steinmetz described his experience with Parkinson’s. “Sometimes you’re good and you can give a speech in front of people, and sometimes you struggle to get out of bed and put your shirt on,” he said.
The Steinmetz family has dreamed of organizing this walk for years. “My family used to go to New York City every year for the Unity PD walk,” Gabriela said. They originally walked in honor of their grandmother, who also suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. “It became too hard to go, as my Dad’s PD progressed and my sister and I got busier with schoolwork,” she said.
But that didn’t stop them. Now, their goal was to bring awareness to the Westchester community.
“We only started publicizing it last week,” said Carmelita Chávez, and she was stunned by the success of their effort. She expected only 10 or 15 people to donate. “The most meaningful thing has been the support we got from the community,” she added.
By the end of the day, the team raised more than $12,000. The Rye Parkinson’s project reached ninth place globally within the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the top fundraising organization for Parkinson’s Disease, which has collected over $2 billion to fund Parkinson’s Disease research.
Some participants in the walk were close friends of the Steinmetzes. Others walked in support of family members or friends in the community.
“We saw the signs in town when we were at dinner last night and decided it would be a nice thing to do,” said David Judice, who walked with his wife, Carol. “We have a friend around the block who has Parkinson’s Disease.”
As the end of Noah’s fact sheet said, “YOU can make a difference in PD in the fight for a cure for Parkinson’s.
As of press time, the Rye Parkinson’s Project had raised $12,885, just shy of its goal of $15,000. If you or someone you know would like to make a donation, visit https://give.michaeljfox.org/team/661894.
