Unshaken Parkinson’s Fundraiser Raises More Than $10,000 for Research and Support

4–7 minutes

By Marisa Dawson

A man in a tie-dye shirt throws a bean bag in a cornhole game while others watch. A boy in a red shirt stands nearby, and a scoreboard shows the current game score.

A community fundraiser in Gretna brought cornhole competitors, local supporters and generous donors together for a cause close to home, raising more than $10,000 for Unshaken Parkinson’s.

The cornhole tournament, held last Saturday, October 24, at the American Legion hall in Gretna, was organized by Bennington resident Nic Chesnut, founder of Unshaken Parkinson’s. The event featured recreational and competitive play, cash prizes, a silent auction, food, drinks and opportunities to purchase organization merchandise. The tournament also drew some familiar voices. Spicoli from Sweet 98.5 attended, helping announce portions of the event while also competing in the tournament.

When the bags stopped flying, Patrick and Allen took first place. The Smith’s finished second, Garry and Spicoli placed third, and Alex and Roger took fourth. In a particularly generous show of support, several of the winning teams donated their cash prizes back to Unshaken Parkinson’s.

Two men are standing together in an indoor setting. The man on the left is wearing a red athletic jacket with a Nebraska logo, while the man on the right is holding an envelope and wearing a gray cap with 'Anchor' written on it. They are smiling and appear to be having a friendly conversation.
Two men standing indoors, one holding an envelope. The man on the left is wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts, and the man on the right is in a black t-shirt and pants, smiling.
Two men standing together in an indoor space, one holding a check and the other holding a cookie package, both smiling and appearing happy.

Above: Winning teams, photos courtesy of Nic Chesnut

The silent auction offered a wide variety of donated baskets and items, including family-themed baskets, tools, home goods, spa products, food and liquor, game tickets, golf gear and more.

A wooden countertop displaying various gift baskets for a silent auction, with labeling cards for each item, set in a room with a quilted wall hanging in the background.

For Chesnut, the event’s success means more than a strong fundraising total. He hopes the money will help the organization take another step toward supporting Parkinson’s research and the people affected by the disease.

“Very successful, should have a study sponsored by Unshaken Parkinson’s this year,” Chesnut said following the event.

Turning personal experience into support for others

Chesnut was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009. After years of navigating the condition, treatment options and research opportunities, he decided to establish Unshaken Parkinson’s to help others facing many of the same uncertainties.

His own experience has included participating in numerous research studies. Chesnut said he has been involved in 17 studies since his diagnosis, with researchers following the progression of his condition over time.

“I’ve been in 17 studies since I’ve had this,” he said during a recent interview.

He has also undergone deep brain stimulation, a treatment that became part of his care as his symptoms progressed. Chesnut described reaching a difficult point in 2022 when his symptoms had become increasingly challenging.

His experience has given him a firsthand understanding of how much trial and error can be involved in finding the right treatment. He recalled spending more than a year working to get his medication routine adjusted.

“Through trial and error, I finally figured out DBS,” he said in the interview, referring to deep brain stimulation.

That process is one reason he wants people living with Parkinson’s to have access to information, encouragement and connections with others who understand what they are experiencing.

Chesnut has helped organize support groups and regularly connects with people living with the disease, including the local group that meets regularly at A Catered Affair. He described how group members share their daily challenges, compare experiences with medications and talk through what has or hasn’t worked for them. The conversations can be especially valuable for people who are newly diagnosed or trying to understand how to manage changing symptoms.

He also shared how one support-group member was frustrated by persistent hand movements and unsure what to do next. While Chesnut is careful to distinguish his experience from medical advice, he said the group can offer a place to talk through challenges and learn from one another.

His efforts have reached beyond the immediate Omaha area, too. Chesnut recalled someone from Cedar Falls, Iowa, asking how to start a support group. His response was simple: he offered to attend the first meeting and help get it started.

“If you want I can go to your first one and I’ll just sit there with you,” he recalls telling him. This was the first step in getting another support group established and regularly attended.

A group of five people engaged in conversation around a table with stacked gray t-shirts, in a brightly lit room with blue banners in the background.

Helping build local resources

In addition to supporting people living with Parkinson’s, Chesnut wants to help strengthen the medical and research resources available in the area. He spoke about losing several doctors over the years as providers left the region and said he wants to help support the doctors who continue caring for patients locally.

He also described a developing research effort involving a neurologist at Boys Town. Chesnut said he was the first patient in a project examining brain-wave technology and deep brain stimulation, with the goal of better understanding whether treatments could help slow the progression of Parkinson’s. He hopes the work will contribute to a better understanding of the disease and potentially benefit others in the future.

Chesnut said the foundation’s fundraising is intended to support research, with a smaller portion going toward website expenses and appreciation for medical professionals. He also described ways the organization has supported local services, including helping people access equipment through HELP Medical Equipment. He described contributing money to an account that can help cover rental costs for individuals who cannot afford needed equipment. He has also donated equipment of his own, including several canes he had tried while searching for one that worked for him. Rather than letting those items go unused, he passed them along so someone else could benefit. He emphasized that the assistance is not limited to people with Parkinson’s, but is available to anyone in the community who needs it.

Beyond the support groups, Chesnut has made it a priority to connect with people living with Parkinson’s throughout the community. He said he has been invited to speak at numerous area nursing homes and estimates he has visited approximately 65% of the nursing homes in the metro area. Through those visits, he shares his experiences and helps raise awareness about the challenges people with Parkinson’s face.

For Chesnut, the work is rooted in the people who are navigating the disease right now, not just what researchers might discover in the future.

His own experience has shown him how difficult it can be to find reliable guidance after a diagnosis, and how isolating that process can feel without a support network.

The success of the Gretna fundraiser gives Unshaken Parkinson’s additional resources to continue that work. With more than $10,000 raised and several tournament teams choosing to give their prizes back, the event also demonstrated the generosity of people willing to support a cause that affects individuals and families throughout the community.

To learn more about Unshaken Parkinson’s and its work, visit unshakenparkinsons.com.

A group of people participating in a cornhole game indoors, with one player throwing a bean bag while others stand nearby waiting for their turn.
Two women and one girl playing cornhole indoors, with one woman in action throwing a bean bag towards the board.
Participants playing a bean bag toss game in a recreation area, with flags and a scoreboard in the background.
A woman wearing an orange shirt participates in a bean bag toss game, while others play in the background. Various banners are displayed on the walls.
A group of people participating in a game, with one person in a red sweatshirt throwing a bag towards a target. Others are in the background, engaged in the same activity.
A young male competitor throwing a red cornhole bag towards a wooden board with an American flag design, while an older man prepares to throw a blue bag next to him. In the background, a group of people is seated at tables, with a sports game playing on a screen.
Participants at a cornhole tournament, smiling and preparing to throw bags, with a scoreboard in the background.
A young girl throws a red cornhole bag while a man watches closely. Another man sits on a chair, observing the game. Flags hang on the wall behind them, and there is a cornhole board on the floor.
A group of people engaging in a cornhole game indoors, with an American flag-themed board and bags. A man in a white shirt is throwing a bag, while a woman in striping prepares to throw another. A third person is seated at a table in the background.
A woman playing bean bag toss, aimed at a slanted board, while a man stands nearby holding a bean bag, in a recreational room decorated with flags and a Marine Corps emblem.
A man in a red shirt and shorts throws a bean bag towards a cornhole board, while a woman in a white shirt and jeans prepares to throw another bean bag in a recreational setting.
Participants playing a bean bag toss game in a recreational space, with one person throwing a bag, while others observe.
A group of women participating in a bean bag tossing game indoors, with one woman in the foreground throwing a bag while others observe. A POW/MIA banner is displayed on the wall behind them.
Three men at a table during an event, one is speaking into a microphone while the others listen. Items are placed in front of them, with flags displayed on the wall behind.
A young woman wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans is throwing a blue bean bag towards a cornhole board. An older woman in a gray hoodie observes, holding a red bean bag, in an indoor setting.
Two men playing a game of cornhole in a casual indoor setting, with tables and people in the background.
A group of people playing cornhole at an indoor event, with two players actively throwing bags towards a target board, while others watch from a table.
A man speaking into a microphone while holding notes in a meeting room, with several people listening and various flags displayed in the background.
A group of people participating in a cornhole game at an indoor event, with one woman in the foreground throwing a bean bag while others watch and tables are set up in the background.
A man with a beard in a blue t-shirt is throwing a bean bag towards a cornhole board in an indoor setting, with a table in the foreground and other people in the background.
Group of people participating in a bean bag toss game indoors, some watching while others play.
A man wearing a colorful tie-dye shirt and shorts throws a disc in a casual indoor setting with tables and chairs, while other people watch.
A man in a maroon shirt and black shorts is throwing a blue disc towards a cornhole board, while another man in a colorful tie-dye shirt stands nearby.
Two men participating in a bean bag tossing game indoors, with a VFW banner and Marine Corps League emblem in the background.
Two men playing cornhole in a recreational space, with one man tossing a blue bean bag while the other stands holding a red bean bag. A scoreboard shows the score.
Two young men playing cornhole in a community center, one throwing a bean bag while the other waits to throw.
Two young men participating in a cornhole game indoors, one about to throw a bag while the other watches. In the background, people are seated at a table.
Two people participating in a cornhole game indoors, with several bean bags in the air and others waiting to be thrown. Several spectators are seated at tables in the background.
A group of people participating in a cornhole game indoors, with players throwing bags towards the boards. Participants include both men and women, and there's a mix of expressions showing concentration and enjoyment.
A group of people playing a bean bag toss game indoors, with one woman in a striped shirt throwing a bag towards the target.
A group of people playing cornhole indoors, with one person throwing a blue bean bag towards a wooden board featuring an American flag. Another woman stands ready to toss a red bean bag, while two others are observing the game. The setting is casual with t-shirts and a stack of shirts nearby.
A group of people participating in a cornhole game inside a recreational facility. A woman in the foreground is tossing a bean bag while wearing a casual outfit. Two spectators are positioned in the background, with one holding a bean bag and the other observing the game. The cornhole boards feature a patriotic design.

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