Mike Adkinson is riding his tractor from Washington State to Minnesota
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A 76-year-old retiree is driving a John Deere tractor about 1,700 miles (2,735km) to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease and in support of his brother.
Mike Adkinson left Washington State on May 15 on his 2008 John Deere 3320 tractor with a John Deere 300CX loader attached, on his way to Perch Lake, Minn.
Behind the tractor is a small trailer that serves as a billboard occasional sleeping quarters.
When he arrives in Minnesota he’ll deliver the tractor to his brother-in-law, Mike Raich.
Along the way, Adkinson hopes to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s disease research after his brother, Dan, received his diagnosis last year.
“I hope to meet people and talk with them about Parkinson’s and how it’s affected their families,” he told KING 5 before his departure. “I might stay in the same spot for a few days so it’s really about spreading awareness and hopefully reaching our $50,000 goal along the way.”
Adkinson’s family have set up a Facebook page where people can follow his journey and a website for anyone interested in donating to the cause. TikTok and Instagram channels are up also, all under the name “Tractor Trip For Parkinson’s.”
Mike’s brother, Dan, is proud of the effort his brother is putting into the cause.
“He’s really put a lot of effort into this,” Dan said, the Lynden Tribune reported. “It’s amazing, really. It’s kind of hard to explain how I feel about it. It blows me away that he’s doing this.”
As of May 20, the fundraiser has raised nearly $20,000. All the money donated will be going to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association in the Pacific Northwest.
And an update from Adkinson on Friday indicates he’s heading towards the Sherman Pass in Washington State.