NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Actor and philanthropist Michael J. Fox won this year鈥檚 Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which the 鈥淏ack to the Future鈥� star plans to use to further his foundation鈥檚 work to find treatments for Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease at the age of 29 in 1991, received the award at the Clinton Global Initiative, or CGI, conference on Tuesday in New York. The annual prize, which went to last year, includes $250,000 from the Elevate Prize Foundation and support to amplify the winner鈥檚 messaging.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who interviewed Fox onstage at CGI, credited him with research advances in understanding Parkinson's. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this work would have made the progress it has if Michael hadn鈥檛 been so open,鈥� she said.
Fox said that once he got support from his family after his diagnosis, he did not hesitate about going public with his diagnosis.
鈥淭here's such shame associated with this illness,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淚t's so ridiculous, this great need to keep it secret. The cruel thing of it is it's going to out you eventually.鈥�
However, he said there is no choice but to 鈥渒eep trying to move the ball forward 鈥� whether it's world peace, climate change or this disease."
Former President Bill Clinton said he was 鈥渁westruck鈥� by Fox. 鈥淚've known Michael J. Fox for a long time, and he looks better every time I see him,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e is a brave, good man.鈥�
Joseph Deitch, founder of The Elevate Prize Foundation, called Fox 鈥渁 lightning rod for good,鈥� as he presented him with the award.
鈥淗e is an icon,鈥� Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Garc铆a Jayaram told The Associated Press in an interview. 鈥淗e was able to use the power of his story to introduce to so many people what this disease was and make us care about it.鈥�
Garcia Jayaram said Fox embodies this year鈥檚 CGI theme of 鈥� 鈥� and was 鈥渢he perfect person at the perfect time鈥� as the more than $2 billion Fox鈥檚 foundation has raised for research since it launched in 2000 has made a major difference in the understanding of the disease.
鈥淚 just can鈥檛 think of a better person to inspire us all to face our challenges with that much stamina and honesty and vulnerability,鈥� Garcia Jayaram said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 scary to be that vulnerable and share something so personal to you and your family -- especially in his case when his job was to be a public figure. He did it anyway. Nothing will stop him.鈥�
Deborah Brooks, co-founder and CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, said the award comes at an important time for the nonprofit. In April, a biomarker for Parkinson鈥檚 disease was , a 鈥渟eismic shift鈥� that will help improve chances for creating treatments and tests that can detect the disease in living patients.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited that this kind of recognition allows him to help us continue to keep moving at what feels somewhat like a warp pace in terms of driving progress on some of the most exciting things going on in neuroscience right now,鈥� Brooks said.
New developments will require hundreds of millions, if not billions, of research dollars, as well as more volunteers for testing, Brooks said. However, Fox plans to use the award to increase his profile, as well as raise awareness about how people can help.
鈥淧atients and families want to be part of the solution they are looking for,鈥� said Brooks, adding that the foundation created the Fox Trial Finder, which helps connect patients to potential testing programs. 鈥淥ften they have no idea how that manifests, and so it鈥檚 always been a part of our message.鈥�
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Glenn Gamboa, The Associated Press
