Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center

By Richard Diaz
Love of Sports Correspondent

Sad as it may be, being charitable has slowly evolved into a trendy thing.

Granted, there are celebrities and athletes who genuinely believe in, and support a multitude of worthwhile causes. However, it’s also evident that many of them turn to a charitable cause as a PR maneuver to escape turbulent headlines. Perhaps they see it as a Jedi mind trick, but in place of waving their hand, the subtle gesture is supporting a cause they’ve never heard of, with an intention to make the world forget their current situation.

And while the organization will certainly benefit from that, I can’t help but see it for the dirty PR trick that it is, but I digress. It’d be easy to critique in that fashion, but where’s the love in that?

One place that definitely deserves some major love is the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC).

Not only is the MAPC recognized as a National Parkinson Foundation Center for Excellence, but it’s also known as a wonderful resource for individuals with Parkinson’s, as well as their families.

Patients and their families can turn to the Center for different reasons, as its staff is dedicated to providing treatment, research and education. More over, the Center’s dedication to excellence doesn’t end at Parkinson’s, but they also extend their gracious assistance to anyone with a movement disorder.

Although places like this exist throughout the country, the MAPC obviously stands out because its namesake is one of the most famous athletes in the world. We all know some places take on a marquee name for not-so-kosher reasons, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. However, in this case, the link between Ali and the MAPC couldn’t be any deeper.

As a sufferer of Parkinson’s, he serves as inspiration to others who suffer the same affliction. Along that same line of thought, his wife Lonnie is also deeply involved in everything from community outreach to family counseling.

Even though the Center itself is an enormous gesture of generosity, the Ali’s went on to establish the Ali Care Program, which works hand-in-hand with the MAPC to provide care for all people with Parkinson’s Disease, regardless of their ability to pay. That’s right, in a society where the almighty dollar is king, and where legitimate health care is impossibly expensive, the Ali Care Program does everything possible to ensure proper care is provided for everyone, as opposed to the few with enough money for good medical treatment.

Impressive as that sounds by itself, the program becomes much more meaningful as you read about it. For instance, the assistance ranges from something as simple as attaining medication, to something as complicated as receiving treatments, therapies and even adaptive equipment.

All in all, the combination of the MAPC and the Ali Care Program truly adds to the greatness of a man that’s already renowned for being “The Great One.”

Here’s to giving up some love for a man that’ll always be the “People’s Champion,” and for the MAPC and all the good that it has and will accomplish in the years to come.

For more information on The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, please visit:
http://www.maprc.com/home/default.aspx