Liberty High School seniors raise money for Parkinson’s disease

Like many of their friends, 17-year-olds Ryan Popowcer and Joseph Maurer are enjoying their senior year at Liberty High School while they prepare for their future.

But Maurer and Popowcer are also striving to do something different as they raise money for Parkinson's disease.

"We don't see a lot of kids our age doing things like this, but they should," Popowcer said.

Through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which strives to raise funds to find a cure, the duo have been raising money to fight Parkinson's disease.

Popowcer wants to be an actor and deems Fox as one of his influences.

He was introduced to Fox by his dad while watching the television show "Family Ties."

"I became obsessed," Popowcer said.

Popowcer pulled Maurer, a longtime friend through Liberty's baseball team, into his obsession.

"There were days we would watch 10 episodes in a row," Maurer said.

Maurer and Popowcer also started watching Fox's movies from the '80s and '90s.

When he realized Fox wasn't acting as much because of Parkinson's disease, Popowcer became aware of the stark reality of the neurological disorder that causes difficulty with walking, moving or coordination.

"I had heard of the disease before but had no idea what it was," Popowcer said.

While watching current interviews with Fox, Popowcer saw the tremors and shaking, helping him realize how devastating the disorder is.

An estimated 5 million people worldwide are living with the disease, and about 60,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, according to the foundation. Since its inception in 2001, the organization has raised more than $289 million.

Over the summer, Popowcer kept thinking that he wanted to contribute to the organization's efforts.

"So I sent a text to Joe about doing an event," Popowcer said.

Both their parents were supportive in their endeavors and have helped with ideas and feedback.

"But we wanted to make sure we were doing this on our own," Maurer said.

They toyed with the idea of having a benefit concert but ultimately decided on a silent auction called Sunrise for Parkinson's, which was held Oct. 20 at Sunrise Cafe, 8975 S. Eastern Ave. Their goal was to raise $5,000.

"It might not seem like a lot, but if 10 people hold events and each raises $5,000, that's $50,000," Maurer said.

Maurer said they raised close to $2,000. He added that the foundation is supposed to match whatever the team raises.

The biggest challenge Popowcer and Maurer faced was getting donations.

"People thought because we were young, we weren't being serious," Maurer said. "We'd go into a business, and people thought it was a scam."

With a little persistence, they convinced businesses to invest into the auction. Donations included tickets for "Jersey Boys," golf packages from Anthem Country Club, hotel stays and deals at salons.

Before the event, they raised more than $1,000.

"We just hit up family out of state who we knew weren't going to come to the event," Popowcer said.

Maurer said social media was key with fundraising and promoting the auction.

Aside from raising money, Maurer said they have learned a lot from the experience.

"I think the biggest thing we have learned is about leadership," Maurer said. "We had to learn to take initiative."

Maurer and Popowcer are still deciding what the future holds. Popowcer wants to pursue a career in acting after college, and Maurer hopes to play baseball professionally.

While pursuing their dreams, they hope to turn this event into something ongoing.

"It might be hard since this is our senior year, but we will see," Popowcer said.

For more information, visit michaeljfox.org.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.