Raphael performing “Keep Your Head To The Sky” (Earth, Wind & Fire cover) dedicated to Brian Grant.

Raphael on stage reaching out to talk to Brian Grant in the audience.

BRIAN GRANT FOUNDATION RAISES $350,000 AT FIRST ANNUAL CELEBRITY FUNDRAISER FOR MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON’S RESEARCH
Muhammad Ali, Pat Riley, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley and more NBA Celebrities Join Fox and Grant

August 5, 2010

Media Contacts:
Sara Perrin, Brian Grant Foundation
503-789-2791 | sara@perrinpromo.com
Katrina Kahl, Michael J. Fox Foundation
212.509.0995, ext 276 | kkahl@michaeljfox.org

(Portland, OR) —– Former NBA power forward Brian Grant hosted a sold-out two-day celebrity gala and golf tournament Shake It Till We Make It on Sunday, August 1 and Monday, August 2 in Portland sponsored by Spirit Mountain Casino and VTech Phones to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the leading source of financing for Parkinson’s research to speed a cure. Grant was diagnosed in 2008 with Early Onset Parkinson’s at 36. Shake It Till We Make It raised $350,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation surpassing the organization’s original goal of $300,000.

“These events surpassed my dreams and what I imagined for a first year effort,” said Brian Grant. “It’s like winning an NBA Championship your rookie year.”

Sunday’s Spirit Mountain Casino Gala was attended by more than 600 at the Rose Garden Arena. Attendees were moved by comments by Riley and Fox and entertained by Grammy award-winner Raphael Saadiq. A star-studded celebrity red carpet preceded the Gala and followed by a private party at the Nines hotel. The Gala Auction featured packages provided by Alaska Airlines headlined by a two-day fishing trip with two legendary NBA warriors, Grant and one of the NBA’s Top 50 All-Time Players, the NBA’s second-leading scorer of all time, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Karl Malone at the World Famous Waterfall Resort in Ketchikan.

180 golfers participated in Monday’s VTech Phones Celebrity Golf Tournament at Pumpkin Ridge’s private Witch Hollow course. Former Trail Blazers Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter teamed up to win the Les Schwab Tire Center celebrity golf challenge. $2,500 was donated in their names to the Brian Grant Foundation.

“I wanted to create something very special for Portland and our sponsors – Spirit Mountain Casino and VTech Phones. The best part of the weekend was showing off my beautiful home city to my friends,” expressed Grant. 300 Portlanders volunteered throughout the weekend to assist at Shake It Till We Make IT.

“Brian and his volunteers are amazing role models — they’ve shown what can be achieved by getting personally involved in the effort to find cures,” said Michael J. Fox. “Because of their dedication, SHAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT has made a tremendous impact on our Foundation’s mission to speed development of breakthrough Parkinson’s treatments and, ultimately, transform patients’ lives.”

About Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects one in 100 people over age 60. While advancing age remains the greatest risk factor, PD can strike people even under age 30. The average age at onset is 60, however, people have been diagnosed as young as 18. Estimates of the number of people living with the disease vary, but recent research indicates that at least one million people in the United States, and more than five million worldwide, have Parkinson’s.

About The Brian Grant Foundation
Established in 2010, the Brian Grant Foundation supports efforts to build awareness and education of Parkinson’s disease in order to increase earlier diagnosis, educate patients and their families, and provide a viable forum for people affected by Parkinson’s. After playing professional basketball for 12 seasons in the NBA, Brian Grant was diagnosed in November of 2008 at age 36 with young onset Parkinson’s disease. Since, he has become an advocate for finding a cure and an inspiration for those living with PD.

www.shakeittillwemakeit.com

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Founded in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda. The Foundation has funded almost $196 million in research to date.

OCTOBER 29, 30, 31: NEW ORLEANS
Website: VOODOO EXPERIENCE or click flyer below.

Great video of Dave Mathews and Robert Randolph at Hollywood Bowl in 2006.

Always a blast to share the stage amongst LA musician fam … Cali folks are ready to bring the heat! It’s a party when you’ve got our good friend Mr.Vikter Duplaix tearin up the 1’s and 2’s, check his latest video and EP Electric Love. And also the master host of bringing friends together to play good records at one of the best parties in LA called The Do Over, Aloe Blacc, will be warming up the stage with music from his much buzzed about forth coming album “Good Things”. We’re ready to party the way NYC knows how … get ready!

Aloe Blacc “I Need A Dollar”

Aloe Blacc “Loving You Is Killing Me” on French TV program Le Grand Journal

Vikter Duplaix “Electric Love”