Jog for Jim 5K
"Outpacing Parkinson's"

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Jog for Jim 5K. Please accept my sincere thanks to the Warsaw Center students, who have organized and managed this event for the benefit of all of those searching to cure Parkinson's disease. I would also like to thank the Warsaw Center faculty and staff, including Managing Director Paul Swangard, for their tireless support in making this day possible.

Today is exciting and important for many reasons. In 1998, three Warsaw MBA students launched a “3 on 3" basketball tournament to benefit research for advanced therapies and a cure for Parkinson’s disease. To date, more than $125,000 has been raised to win the war on Parkinson’s by our students. Led by Brian Cole, Beck Hartmann, Melynda Stein, Cameron Javdani, Ben Steiner, and many others, the $125,000 mark should be reached this year.

Your participation in the 3rd Annual Jog For Jim 5k represents our quest for a “fast-track” cure for Parkinson’s. More than two-million Americans are afflicted with Parkinson’s and today, you have made a difference in their lives.

Eugene is an icon in the world of jogging. In fact, jogging was born here and is now synonymous with Oregon athletics. The same energy that was needed to pioneer jogging is needed to find a cure for Parkinson’s. The Michael J Fox Foundation uses a collaborative approach for discovery and advances for the cure, which is enriched by the world’s leading scientists, researchers and clinicians. Our alliances with the National Parkinson’s Foundation and The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation in Seattle gather the best and brightest to beat Parkinson's disease. It is only fitting that the unbelievable sprit we all feel at Hayward Field closely aligns with my keen desire to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease in the near future. Together, we can “accelerate the cure.”

I am truly indebted to all the students, the University, Lundquist College of Business faculty, the Eugene Community and all our sponsors, especially Jim Williams and the UO Bookstore. I am forever grateful for so many others whose generosity and support have inspired me to fight my battle with intensity and vigor from Washington DC to Washington State. My active and public advocacy for Parkinson’s is the direct result of the energy I get from all of you, especially our students.

I want to thank you once again for your support in our quest to cure Parkinson’s.

Go Ducks!

Jim Warsaw

Founder, Warsaw Sports Marketing Center