A Rye family impacted by Parkinson’s disease will hold an inaugural fundraising walk at Playland Park this weekend on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 10:00am. Co-founded by Gabriela and Sofia Steinmetz, the Rye Parkinson’s Project fundraiser walk aims to bring people together in the fight against Parkinson’s disease to raise awareness, fostering understanding, and generating funds for research. Proceeds will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), an organization dedicated to Parkinson’s research.
“This walk has been a dream of our family’s for years,” said Gabriela Steinmetz, co-founder of the Rye Parkinson’s Project and a junior at Rye High School. “It is just the beginning of what we hope will be a powerful and ongoing movement for awareness and action in Rye and the greater Westchester community.”
In the summer of 2021, Gabriela and Sofia Steinmetz’s father Jonathan was diagnosed with both early-onset Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Stage 4 lymphoma. For the first three years, he battled cancer, and Parkinson’s took a back seat. But now with his cancer in remission, he fights a longer battle with PD. Gabriela, Sofia and their brother Noah (a 5th grader who also helps with the group) live with their father Jonathan and mother Carmelita Chávez on Maple Avenue.
“Whether you walk in honor of someone affected or to show your support for the community, your presence makes a difference,” said Sofia Steinmetz, co-Founder of the Rye Parkinson’s Project and a freshman at Rye High School.
The Rye Parkinson’s Project was established earlier this year, and the Rye Parkinson’s Walk will be its first event. Over 6 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s, which is the second most common neurological disorder. In the United States, approximately 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. Currently, there is no known cure.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the group has raised over $5,000. You can learn more about the Rye Parkinson’s Project and donate.
