Adaptive Athlete Announces 300 Skydives in 24 Hours

MINNEAPOLIS, June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Kevin Burkart, will host "300 Imperfect Jumps," and will attempt to jump out of a plane with one arm 300 times in one day, in honor of his father who is living with Parkinson's disease (PD).  Burkart will attempt to set an adaptive athlete world record for skydiving. The event will be held at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wisconsin from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.

"I'm doing this for my dad, Gary, who has been living with Parkinson's since 1999. I decided to combine my two passions—skydiving and raising awareness of Parkinson's—to make a difference in my dad's life and the one million Americans living with PD," said Kevin Burkart. "As hard as it is to skydive with one arm, it's even harder to face this disease on a daily basis."

In 2008, Burkart completed "100 Perfect Jumps" in one day and raised $48,000 for Parkinson's disease research. In 2010, he upped the ante and completed 150 skydives and raised $78,000. In 2013, after a spinal cord injury left one arm paralyzed, Burkart returned to the skies and completed 151 "Imperfect Jumps for Parkinson's Disease" and raised an additional $135,000 for a grand total of nearly $250,000. 

"Everyone at the National Parkinson Foundation is rooting for Kevin and his ambitious goal of 300 skydives in one day with one arm," said Paul Blom, NPF's Interim CEO. "Kevin is an inspiration to so many and his message is one of triumph in the face of adversity."

This year, Burkart's goal is to raise $300,000 for the National Parkinson Foundation's (NPF) Team Hope™ community fundraising program. Proceeds from the event will support NPF's mission to make life better for people with Parkinson's through expert care and research and will support local programs at the NPF Minnesota Chapter.

The public is invited to join the fight against Parkinson's with Kevin on June 15, 2016 or join him virtually by sponsoring a jump online. Donations can be made online at: www.parkinson.org/300jumps. Follow "300 Imperfect Jumps" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/parkinsonmn and on Twitter at @parkinsonmn.

About Parkinson's Disease (PD)
Affecting an estimated one million Americans and four to six million worldwide, Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. There is no cure for PD and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

About the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF)
Founded in 1957, the National Parkinson Foundation's mission is to make life better for people with Parkinson's through expert care and research. NPF has funded more than $189 million in care, research and support services. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org, or call the NPF Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636).

Media Contact:

Ann Garrity

612-845-8676

[email protected]

SOURCE National Parkinson Foundation

Related Links

http://www.parkinson.org