Earlier this year, we shared Rob Ruffle’s goal to host an inaugural Bowl Parkinson’s Over fundraiser for Parkinson’s disease. And we’re now thrilled to reveal that the event was a brilliant success, bringing together a community of 42 teams made up of 126 competitors to raise an incredible $15,660 for Shake It Up Australia Foundation – racing past Rob’s original target of $6,000.
Held at Heathmont Bowls Club in Melbourne, the event combined Rob’s passion for sport, his love of bowls, and his determination to make a difference in the lives of people impacted by Parkinson’s Disease.
We caught up with Rob to learn more about the experience of organising this unique community event and what lies ahead for Bowl Parkinson’s Over.
Rob, can you tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to create Bowl Parkinson’s Over?
“I have always been involved in competitive sport. Football and cricket as a junior, volleyball and cricket at a senior level, and then socially, tennis, baseball, golf, and now lawn bowls—and as of 2024, pickleball! I trained as a Physical Education Teacher although I only taught for 10 years. The benefits of activity have always been a high priority for me.
Having lived with Parkinson’s Disease since 2014, I wanted to do something to help in combatting the affliction, and seeing that I was involved in bowls, a bowls competition day seemed to be a logical way to go about it. I approached my local bowls club, Heathmont BC, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and decided on ‘2 bowl triples,’ which means that each team is a threesome and each bowler has 2 bowls (a reasonably common format). We had 126 competitors on the day.
Bowl Parkinson’s Over just seemed to be a good name. I hope the day raises awareness of Parkinson’s and gets people talking and sharing. I also hope to raise a decent sum of money to go to the foundation. Bowls is a strong community—a great place to work together. Bowls is such an inclusive, doable activity.”
What challenges did you face in organising the event, and how did you overcome them?
“I was inspired by lots of people doing wonderful things to raise money for the Shake It Up Foundation, but years of sport have taken its toll on my joints. I have had a knee and a hip replaced recently and would dearly love to undertake some of the physical activities about which we read on the website, but I just am not capable of doing those things anymore.
But what I could do is organise a bowls charity day. So here I am, organising a lawn bowls competition supporting the Shake It Up Australia Foundation to help with their goal to slow, stop, and cure Parkinson’s Disease. It is largely too late to reverse the effect for me, but hopefully researchers can find ways to have an effect on Parkinson’s Disease for everyone moving forward—especially my children and grandchildren.”
You’ve spoken about the importance of physical activity for those living with Parkinson’s. Can you elaborate on that?
“I think physical activity for those living with PD is vitally important. It is not only important for the body but is also fantastic for the brain.
The tendency is to sit, but activity, although it can be difficult at times, helps in so many ways—you feel more tired at the end of the day and hopefully sleep better, it mobilises joints, helps with weight control, and makes the brain work in different ways.
I have found boxing to be spectacular in being active, using my brain to hit with different sequences or patterns, and even greater brain stimulation by adding in a secondary task whilst hitting the bag—saying days of the week forwards and backwards, months of the year forwards and backwards, counting, etc. I love my twice-weekly boxing class. Nothing better than punching a bag… but it is so much more than that.”
It sounds like Bowl Parkinson’s Over was a community effort. Can you tell us about the support you received?
“My daughter, Amy, is on board as an ambassador for The Shake It Up Foundation and hosts the Shake It Up Show. She also organised a comedy show to raise funds and ran a half marathon to raise funds for Parkinson’s research.
Other people have done amazing things, the funds from which benefit so many people, and I felt that I could contribute by organising my own fundraiser. What I have found is that the disease has affected so many people, and in general, they are willing to help.
It is inspiring to read the stories of what others have done and are doing. So many of the teams entering my competition have expressed a connection with Parkinson’s. Together we are stronger!”
What advice would you give to others considering hosting a fundraiser?
“I would encourage anyone and everyone to contemplate a fundraiser. Give yourself plenty of time, engage some helpers, and you would be surprised how many people will help and probably have a closer relationship to PD than you might think.
Also, engage the resources at Shake It Up to help along the way. I would love to see Bowl Parkinson’s Over become an annual national event.”
How much did you raise, and what are your hopes for the future of Bowl Parkinson’s Over?
“In the end, we raised $15,660 for the Shake It Up Australia Foundation. I would love to see this become an annual event—and possibly expand nationally.”
The power of community fundraising
Rob Ruffle’s Bowl Parkinson’s Over fundraiser showcased the power of community and the impact of individual determination. With $15,660 raised and countless conversations sparked, the event was a triumph in both fundraising for research and PD awareness.
Rob’s vision for the future—a nationwide series of Bowl Parkinson’s Over events—is an inspiring reminder that small actions can lead to big changes. We can’t wait to see this event grow and continue making a difference in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
