The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s Hosted Their 9th Annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic in Rochester Hills, MI!

Kirk Gibson and Me!

All proceeds to support those living with Parkinson’s Disease in Michigan through the opening of Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness!

WHAT:

The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s is proud to have hosted its 9^th Annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic on August 18, 2025, at the Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Over the last 8 years the Kirk Gibson Golf Classic has raised more than $1.7 million to fund programs to benefit those living with Parkinson’s Disease and their families. Each year, Kirk Gibson is joined by celebrities and current and former athletes who gather to help show their support.

I was honored to interview Kirk Gibson and his son Cam Gibson, along with the CEO of the foundation itself, Steve Annear. You can read about Mr. Annear’s adventures here as well. Unfortunately, the audio in the video interviews are a bit muffled in sound, but it’s because of all the excitement and activity of attendees enjoying conversation all around us. So as a compromise, I created interview screenshots and dictated what I was able to pick up from each interview to the best of my ability.

Kirk Gibson Golf Classic Interviews:

Mr. Cam Gibson

Michigan Mama News: “What role do high-profile attendees, like past participants Alan Trammell or Tim Izzo, play in raising awareness for Parkinson’s through this event?”

Mr. Cam Gibson: “Guys like that have been coming since the beginning. They’ve really gone out of their way to be the role models that they are, and they are friends of my dad. Again, it’s our 9th year, and guys like that are coming back even in their busy schedules, we know that they are busy. It means a lot that guys like that who stuck around since the beginning show up every year. They all have a great time, and it’s like they are all teenagers again. It’s actually quite a sight.”

Michigan Mama News: “As Kirk Gibson’s son, how has this impacted you personally watching your dad go through this experience?”

Mr. Cam Gibson: “I remember at the beginning, in 2015, it was a new way as I didn’t know about Parkinson’s, all I knew was oh, Michael J Fox has it, I know that. But going through this the last 10 years, I picked up a lot, I learned about it a lot and I talked to a lot of people who have it and I’ve gone to a lot of classes and learned from the teachers and the participants. I am actually pretty knowledgeable about it now, which I hope I would be 10 years into this, but it’s just a different way of life. We used to be very competitive; we still are now, he just has Parkinson’s. We used to play pool all the time, we used to golf all the time, we used to bowl all the time, and we still do that stuff. It’s really good for him mentally and physically to stick to that competitive schedule.”

Mr. Steve Annear

Michigan Mama News: “How does it feel to be a part of an event that has raised over $1.7 million for Parkinson’s programs over the years?”

Mr. Steve Annear: “I feel very privileged and I feel very grateful that I can be a part of this organization that is doing so much work, and Kirk’s vision was to do that. We are achieving what we set out to do for those battling the disease. It is actually now over $3 million dollars that we have raised…

Michigan Mama News: “What has been the most memorable moment for you at this year’s Golf Classic, whether on the course or during the events and activities?”

Mr. Steve Annear: “Just talking to people and getting the feedback from people who are inspired and encouraged. That’s the best part for me, getting that feedback and validation.”

Mr. Kirk Gibson

Michigan Mama News: “What has inspired you to start the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s, and how has the Golf Classic evolved over the past 9 years?”

Mr. Kirk Gibson: “A lot of people helped establish the first outing 9 years ago, and it runs pretty efficiently.  Since the first one, we have fed and educated people about what Parkinson’s disease is and how you can deal with it, or how even someone you know or love can deal with the disease. We are waiting to find a cure and contributing to whatever we can do, but in the meantime, we reach out. It takes a lot of volunteers who are very solid and have a good culture to get where we are today, and we have a long way to go…”

Some of the expected attendees:

Kirk Gibson golfed along with the support of current and former athletes and celebrities/VIPs including Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish, Dave Rozema, Tom Izzo, Carson Cooper, Michigan native and actor, Martin Klebba, best known for his role as “Marty” in Pirates of the Caribbean series…

The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s was formed by former professional baseball player and manager, Kirk Gibson, after his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease in 2015.  Gibson spent most of his career with the Tigers, but also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates.  Gibson now spends his time supporting his mission and vision of spreading awareness for Parkinson’s and providing inspiration and hope to others who are living with Parkinson’s.

The mission of the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s is to improve the quality of life of those living with Parkinson’s through the development and delivery of activity-based programs. Through fundraising efforts like the Kirk Gibson Golf Classic, the foundation progresses their mission of opening a center for those living with Parkinson’s in Michigan.  The Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness will open this fall at 31440 Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills. The wellness center will be the first of its kind in Michigan, a world-class facility where those impacted by Parkinson’s can access a range of activity-based programs, completely free of charge with no insurance required.

The Center will provide a series of free programs, many of which were developed by InMotion, a Cleveland-based leader in the provision of evidence-based programs tailored for people with Parkinson’s disease. Movement matters in the fight against Parkinson’s and through leveraging the InMotion Approach^TM, the Kirk Gibson Center will provide an integrated, holistic system of wellness programs designed to counteract the symptoms of the disease and to improve the quality of life of those people living with Parkinson’s disease here in Michigan.

Offering approximately 70 hours of weekly programming with an initial capacity to provide 60,000 visitor hours per year, the center will ultimately serve as a model for collaborative coalitions in support of people living with Parkinson’s.

About the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness

Set to open this fall, the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness will be the first of its kind in Michigan. Located at 31440 Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills, the center will offer group exercise classes and other movement-based activities, educational programs for people with Parkinson’s and their care partners, and other resources. There are no membership fees, and all programs will be free of charge. No insurance is necessary to participate.

About the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s:

The Kirk Gibson Foundation was created in 1996 to provide college scholarships to both athletes and non- athletes at Waterford Kettering and Clarkston High Schools, where Kirk’s parents, Robert and Barbara, taught for many years. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015, he expanded the mission of the Foundation to improve the quality of life of those living with Parkinson’s through the development and delivery of activity-based programs. Kirk’s vision is to provide inspiration, hope, and help to those living with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones. Since that expansion, the Foundation has raised more than $3 million towards research grants and programs to support the Parkinson’s community.

Additionally, the Foundation wants to create awareness and understanding about Parkinson’s disease. Too many individuals are in denial about the disease or fear a stigma associated with Parkinson’s and delay seeking medical help. Early diagnosis and treatment can provide years that are virtually symptom-free. It’s imperative to know that life expectancy is about the same as for people without the disease. While life will change with a Parkinson’s diagnosis, many symptoms can be managed with proper medication and movement therapies, and patients can still live an active and enjoyable life. The Foundation will continue to fund and grow outreach programs as well as improve awareness through hosting special events and by increasing fundraising activities.  For more information, please visit www.KirkGibsonFoundation.org

Follow The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s social:

Facebook: @KirkGibsonFoundation

Instagram: @KirkGibsonFoundation

LinkedIn: @KirkGibsonFoundationForParkinson’s

X: @KirkGibsonFDN