Baseball legend Kirk Gibson raising awareness to Parkinson's disease through foundation
(CBS DETROIT) - In 2015, Tigers legend Kirk Gibson was diagnosed with Parkinson's, a disease that affects the brain's motor skills.
According to the National Institute of Aging, the disease can cause unintended/uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
It's a disease that can make everyday life a challenge, leaving those with the disease to stay at home, feeling isolated in a limited space.
But for Gibson, or "Gibby", as those close to the two-time World Series Champion call him, Parkinson's was not going to keep him from living his life.
And he refused to let anyone else living with the disease feel like they can't live their best life, either.
Through the Kirk Gibson Foundation, which initially helped provide college scholarships to students, Gibson expanded its mission to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's research, attacking the disease with the same devotion and intensity he played with on the field.
And over the last two days, the foundation took a couple of swings at Parkinson's through two of its signature events; the "Strike Out Parkinson's" open bowling night in Royal Oak Sunday evening and the annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic at the Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills Monday morning.
During Sunday's bowling event, the foundation held a sports memorabilia auction, along with a panel comprised of some of the people that took part in the Tigers' 1984 World Series win, including Gibson, alongside a couple of hall of famers in former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell and former Padres pitcher Richard "Goose" Gossage.
The trio spent the evening taking pictures with fans, signing autographs, and reminiscing about that legendary series, which saw Gibson hit the deciding home run against Gossage in Game 5.
Trammell says the focus should be on fighting Parkinson's and what Gibson's done to help fight off the stigma the disease can carry.
"What he [Kirk Gibson] is trying to do is make some people aware and also raise some funds, but mainly the awareness," Trammell told CBS Detroit. "There's so many people that, when they are diagnosed with Parkinson's, they kind of go into a shell. And he's trying to get them to be more outgoing and live their life."
As for Gossage, while he joked about not knowing why he was in the city that cost him a World Series for an event hosted by his career rival, he says their battles were legendary and considers Gibson a close friend through it all.
"That's what it was all about; me facing him, him facing me. It didn't get any better than that, especially in a world series," Gossage said.
The next day saw less swinging on the hardwood lanes and more swinging on the golf course at the Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills for the annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic.
Over the last six years, the Classic raised more than $1.3 million to fund programs that benefit those living with Parkinson's disease.
It also attracts some of Michigan sport's biggest names, including Michigan State University men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo, who says he believes people are taking Parkinson's diagnoses and detection much more seriously than before, in part thanks to Gibson's efforts.
"Half of what he [Kirk Gibson] does is the awareness. The money is a big part of it that he raises, but the awareness and lifestyle and how you live and what you can do. There's so many things that I have learned from Gibby, in all honesty, about this disease. And I have good friends that have it. And he has been a staple of how you deal with it," Izzo says.
If you're interested in getting involved with the foundation, you can visit their website here.