[Image] Don Doles getting low and doing the Limbo any way he can.
Don Doles was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s in February of 2017, though he had been experiencing symptoms for a while.
In March of 2017, he attended The Victory Summit® event in Southwest Florida and met Davis Phinney. As a long-time athlete himself, Don was immediately inspired by Davis, his mission and his fervent belief that it is possible to live well today with Parkinson’s. His experience at the event prompted him to think about ways he could support the Foundation so that others could experience it too. His plan for doing so came a bit later.
Later that year, Don and his wife moved from Ft. Meyers, FL to Greensboro, North Carolina and into a retirement community. Because he was uncertain about how his Parkinson’s would progress, he wanted to make sure that he had access to full care if he needed it. Between his current living situation, his fabulous wife and a doctor he loves working with, he has a great care team in place.
After he secured his new home, one of Don’s biggest concerns about moving was that he wouldn’t find a Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) community like the one he had in Florida. As luck would have it, an RSB club opened up just six miles from his new place a couple of weeks before they moved in.
In January of 2018, he became certified in RSB and began teaching three to four classes a week until May when he broke his hip and then a couple of weeks later fractured his lower leg due to falls. (His left leg simply didn’t want to activate at the pace he wanted to move!) He spent the rest of 2018 in rehab, using a walker or crutches and doing his best to stay active and positive despite his injuries.
Today, Don works out with a personal trainer twice a week, boxes two days a week, does water aerobics, swims and does everything he can to live well. Parkinson’s and the complications he’s had due to his Parkinson’s has made him realize even more how important it is to move and keep doing what you can do. He says that he may not be the person he used to be, but he can still be the best he can be right now.
Throughout this Parkinson’s journey, Don also found the perfect way to support the Foundation and our mission to live well TODAY that not only gives him a tax break but makes giving easy.
As part of Don’s planned giving, he donates from his IRA to the Foundation through a charitable rollover. According to PlannedGiving.com, “The IRA Charitable Rollover allows individuals over age 70½ to directly transfer up to $100,000 per year from an IRA account to one or more charities. This transfer counts toward the minimum required distribution rule for IRA accounts, and such distributions are free of both income and estate taxes.”
In addition, Don has also designated the Foundation in his will and estate so that he will donate to the Foundation upon his death through a charitable bequest.
Don does all of this because one of his missions is to pay it forward. He feels so fortunate to have the care he does and to have access to all of the programs that help him live well that he wants to continue to make those resources available to others who may not.
Thank you, Don, for your remarkably generous support of the Davis Phinney Foundation. We hope there are many more great punches, laps and aquatic moves in your future.
Looking for a no-fuss way to give back to the Foundation and the Parkinson’s community?
Contact Rich Cook, Director of Development, at [email protected] tel: 970-485-0170 or speak with your financial advisor, accountant or attorney about planned giving, charitable bequests, tax planning strategies and whether they are right for your unique situation.
Legacy gifts are vitally important to help sustain and support our mission for generations to come. To make it easy to create a lasting legacy at the Davis Phinney Foundation, we’ve partnered with FreeWill. FreeWill is a free, online resource that allows you to write your will in 20 minutes or less and easily include a legacy gift to the Davis Phinney Foundation. The tool is always free to use and can be completed online or used to create a list of wishes to bring to an attorney. Click here to learn more and to create your will today.