Look, Ma — No Hands!

Phil Comar, world record holder.

I just learned about a man who's performing a motorcycle feat to raise $10,000 for Parkinson's research.

Phil Comar was on Fox Channel 2 in Detroit this morning while I was sitting in the lobby of Belle Tire, getting my automobile tires rotated.
I was leafing through a Rider magazine when I spotted his '97 Harley-Davidson Dyna on the tube, and of course I put the mag down and paid attention.

The Fox of this charity is not Fox 2 but Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease. He set up a foundation to study and try to find a cure for the paralyzing disorder.

Comar plans to make a Mackinac “Bridge to the Border Ride II” run no-handed on Sunday. So far he's raised a little over a quarter of his goal, which is why I guess he was on TV — to raise a little more interest.

" For the second time in two years I will attempt to set a World Record!!" the 62-year-old from Adrian, Mich., says on his mission page. "This will be a 'No Handed', 'Non Stop' ride from the Mackinac Bridge to Covington, Kentucky, and will cover approximately 525 miles. The route will be down I-75 to US-23 and then back to I-75 and will break the current World Record that I set last year of 314 miles. I am doing this in honor of my father, who died of complications from Parkinson's Disease.
 
"Please join me in the fight against Parkinson's disease. By supporting my Team Fox efforts, you are helping The Michael J. Fox Foundation achieve its mission to bring better treatments and, ultimately, a cure to people living with Parkinson's disease."


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My brother has Parkinson's. It is a debilitating, progressive nerve disorder that robs you of your ability to control voluntary muscles. That's why when you see Michael J. Fox these days, you think he can't stand still. He really can't anymore.

It can also cause memory loss, dementia, confusion and depression because the cells that make dopamine die off. Dopamine is one of the chemicals in our brain that transmits signals between the brain and muscles. It has important functions in mood, motivation and memory. Drugs including cocaine and nicotine increase the effects of dopamine, giving the user a feeling of pleasure. Without it, life has no pleasure.

David Frownfelder of The Daily Telegram in Adrian did a story about Phil Comar, stating his practiced his no-hands technique for 20 years. (But don't tell David that leaning doesn't really turn the wheels).

That's one reason that Parkinson's is such a horrible disease. If you want to help Phil Comar's cause, visit www.teamfox.org. You can also Friend him on Facebook: No Hand Man.