• The 5k participants on their first lap around the track at Okemos High School.

OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL - On Saturday, September 21, the "I Gave My Sole for Parkinson's" event took place at Okemos High School. With a walk and a 5K, participants came to raise both money and awareness for the disease.

"I've got Parkinson's disease and I found it a shock," said Jim Pochen, Honorary Chair member of the of the event. "I did research in neuroscience for a long time and I never thought I'd get it. And it was a shock for me to get it and I didn't realize what it was like to have it. I've seen hundreds of patients with it, but to have it is a very different thing. To learn about it is fantastic and I've learned to enjoy it. You can learn to enjoy anything."

"I'm running in this race because my mom has early onset Parkinson's," said Paige Branley, a race participant, "and she was diagnosed when she was 46, and so I'm running it for her."

"Yeah, they've asked me to do this and I'm eager to support them," said Pochen, "because I think the more people that are aware of what it's like to love through these kinds of problems, the more likely we are to find a way to address them."

"It felt good," Branley said. "She had brain surgery last year, so I figured if she could do that, then I can- the least I can do is run a few miles. Parkinson's needs more awareness and more attention because it affects a lot of people, especially younger people. I don't think people realize that. This last year we went to a conference in Cincinnati and there's people as young as 33 that were diagnosed and I think that's something that a lot of people don't realize."

"I think it was wonderful," said Pochen. "The people they've got here- they've got a very nice crowd and these people are really dedicated to a cause. A chronic, debilitating, incurable disease- those kind of problems are not nice to have when you wake up and they figure that you've got that. You can decide to enjoy it or complain about it and I can learn to enjoy anything."