It was a dumb idea
"Let's do a punch-a-thon."
We thought it might raise $1,000. We only had 4 weeks to plan it.
When the actual event rolled around, we had raised over $13,000 and had hundreds of donors and supporters.
It was AMAZING.
It was so easy, fun and effective.
I knew I had to help other people do their own Punching for Parkinson's.
SOmething new for an important cause
My name is Zach Guza. I started Punching for Parkinson's.
When I started Rock Steady Boxing in Knoxville Tennessee, the local Parkinson's community was still doing Walks, Galas and Auctions to raise money.
-The galas were expensive to put on and expensive to participate in. $200 each to wear uncomfortable clothes and eat lukewarm chicken.
-The walks were sad and dull.
-The time it takes to solicit, gather, sell and distribute the auction items was burning out our volunteers and not making that much money.
We needed something new.
"How about a punch-a-thon?"
Zach at the 2022 Black Dog Fitness Punching for Parkinson's
"It's like the March of dimes but with punches."
On March 25th 2019 we decided to have the first Punching for Parkinson's. We scheduled it for 4 weeks away - April 27th. We just wanted to see if it would work. Within the first week, we found out that it was going to work. REALLY WELL.
We watched the donations fly in from everywhere - $5, $20, $100 at a time.
By the event, we had raised over $13,000. It was hard to believe.
"We have to tell everyone about this!!!"
So, I started taking notes about what worked and what didn't over the next Five years and four Punching for Parkinson's events (COVID stopped us in 2020).
Jim and his team of fighters at the 2019 Knoxville P4P
The Fund Raiser in a Can
You will love it
You benefit from our mistakes (do not have a bake sale before the punching).
Take what we have learned and help the local Parkinson's community improve their quality of life.
Give to research initiatives to help find a cure for Parkinson's.
Just Punch for Parkinson's