Sixth annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic about ‘mobilizing together’ toward fighting Parkinson’s

METRO DETROIT — “Remarkable” would describe Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series off Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, or bringing the last World Series title to Detroit in 1984. 

His accomplishments range from National League MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers to National League Manager of the Year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but arguably his biggest impact has taken place off the field.

“What a stand-up guy, the way he takes everything in his life head-on, and some people, unfortunately, want to shy away, and we get that,” Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Alan Trammell said. “There’s also certain people, like Kirk Gibson, that will come out, bring awareness, be right up in the front and center, and, hopefully, over time make some significant progress.”

On Aug. 22 at Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester Hills, Gibson, a Waterford native, and the Kirk Gibson Foundation, held the sixth annual Kirk Gibson Golf Classic to fund programs that benefit Parkinson’s disease patients and provide research grants in efforts to find a cure. The event has raised over $700,000 in the past five years. Gibson started the foundation in 2015 after his diagnosis.

“There’s been a support group that’s been incredible since the day I was diagnosed; Alan Trammell is obviously one of my buddies and one of my true friends,” Gibson said. “The initiative and the things we’ve done — I’m very proud of the things we’ve done.”

With a record number of attendees this year at 204 participants, the event showcased people of all statuses, including Alan Trammell, Tom Izzo, Larry the Cable Guy, Jimmy Choi, Matt Shepard, Craig Monroe, Bill Bucklew and many more.

“That’s the thing about this outing; there’s a lot of who’s whos here,” Izzo said. “The other people you meet are all good people.”

As Izzo came off the driving range, he had an honest analysis of his game going into the round.

“It sucks,” Izzo said. “Put that: S-U-C-K-S, sucks; I got to golf more.”

“I got to get rid of my day job and golf more,” Izzo added.

Choi, who participated in five seasons of American Ninja Warrior, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease almost 20 years ago. He golfed for the first time in the tournament after not swinging a club in almost 13 years due to his struggle with Parkinson’s. 

Choi said he wished he knew one thing when he was first diagnosed.

“I was told that I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and that I wasn’t going to be able to move, so I gave up everything about moving, including golf, and I played a lot back then,” Choi said. “That’s one lesson I want people to learn, is just because you’re told you have something — and I gave up and I lived through it, so I’m recommending to everyone else — don’t give up, and just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Like Choi, Bucklew has served as an advocate for Parkinson’s since his diagnosis in 2012. Bucklew has brought awareness to Parkinson’s by walking across the United States and Great Britain, completing an Ironman, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Bucklew, along with his nonprofit Uncorked Adventures, strives to engage with the community and inspire others around him.

“The coverage that it gets because the community is getting more and more educated about these things, but getting outside the community is very difficult,” Bucklew said. “So with Kirk and the status of some of the people here, it just brings that awareness and broadens it, and that’s what we really need.”

Bucklew and Choi were just two out of a group of golfers in the tournament who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Gibson said their efforts have not only helped bring awareness, but also help others as well by sharing their experiences.

“We’re kind of mobilizing together,” Gibson said. “Sometimes we may be further down the line in one aspect, so I can help bring them up to speed so they don’t have to walk that same long trail.”

As the round concluded, participants took part in a live auction with various autographed items available for bidding. All proceeds benefited the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

The Kirk Gibson Foundation issued grants in 2021 to programs such as the Michigan Parkinson Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Spectrum Health Foundation, Perfect 33 Foundation, and Uncorked Adventures.