NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Carlos Velez took the ball and walked out towards the mound at Harbor Park on Tuesday night.
Wearing a shirt with the message "Parkinson's may slow me down, but it can't stop me," he wound up and fired a strike to Tides' pitcher Brandon Young at the plate.
"Not a lot of people know about Parkinson's," he said. "90,000 people get diagnosed with Parkinson's each year and I just want to raise awareness that this disease is out there. But it can't stop you. Keep moving, do what you want, do what you love."
Velez is one of the approximately 1.1 million people in the United States living with and battling Parkinson's Disease. He was on hand as the Tides recognized Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month at Harbor Park. A U.S. Navy veteran, Velez is an ambassador for the American Parkinson's Disease Association.
The Virginia chapter of the APDA will hold it's annual Optimism Walk in downtown Norfolk on May 2nd. WTKR News 3 sports director Marc Davis will serve as the event's emcee for the second straight year and Riptide will be in attendance. For more information on the walk, click here.
The Tides did their part Tuesday night as well, topping Memphis, 7-3, to open the homestand.
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