Chicago Bulls Player Supports Grayslake Grandfather With Parkinson's

LAKE FOREST, IL — Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu was on hand Sunday in Lake Forest to support his grandfather and others taking part in this year's Race to Impact.

The 8th annual race raised money and awareness of the hospital's medical fitness programs for patients with Parkinson's Disease, cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Torrential storms forced organizers to move the 8th annual Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health and Fitness Center's 5-kilometer and one-mile race onto the indoor track.

Dosunmu, a Chicago native set to begin his second season with the Bulls next month, said his grandfather, Dale Moss, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011, has helped teach him to stay strong and battle through adversity.

"Since I can remember, he's always been there to support me, so once I found out I had the chance to come out and support him, and not just him but everyone else who's here and bring awareness to it, I was blessed to be able to come," Dosunmu said.

Moss, a Grayslake resident, is active running marathons, playing basketball and taking part in long-distance swimming events. He joined the fitness program at Lake Forest Hospital after learning about the benefits of exercise for people with Parkinson's.

"It definitely helps with motivation," Moss said. "It helps with just having a sense of purpose and getting up and exercising and doing what's necessary."

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Linda Egan, the coordinator of the hospital's Parkinson's program, said research shows that high-intensity exercise is the only thing proven to slow the progression of Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disorder. She said Parkinson's patients are encouraged to exercise for at least two hours a week.

"So events like the Race to Impact, all the proceeds go to support our medical fitness programs, one of which is the Parkinson's program," Egan said. "We invite anyone within the community to participate in the exercise classes, which are offered at no cost to anybody with Parkinson's, and you don't have to be a patient at Northwestern, you can receive your care anywhere else in the Chicagoland area."

Moss said it felt great to see his grandson at the Sunday morning's event.

"The fact that he got up earlier than I did, and my daughter and my son-in-law, to come from the city up here, it means an awful lot to me," he said. "And I can see it means a lot to a lot of people in here too."