Published: March 2025
For sixteen years, Team PIPR (Partner’s Investing in Parkinson’s Research) has been committed to advancing Parkinson’s research through participation and fundraising at Ottawa Race Weekend. This dedicated group is focused on providing support to grow Parkinson’s research, the effect of donor contributions, and the meaningful impact their efforts are having on the Campaign to Create Tomorrow.
After years of dedication to helping fund research at The Ottawa Hospital, in 2025, the team is hoping to cross a major milestone in their fundraising efforts — $2 million.
The evolution of Team PIPR
In 2009, a group of investment advisors, led by Andrew Frank, Richard Shantz, and Roberta Driscoll of RBC Dominion Securities, founded Partners Investing in Parkinson Research, and they quickly became known as PIPR. Their mission started with a common goal: to raise funds for Parkinson’s research at The Ottawa Hospital and to increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease.
“When we started Team PIPR, it was more about research because we were interested in finding out what Parkinson’s was and where it came from,” shares Andrew. “Many of us had been touched by the disease and wanted to understand the disease better.”
As Team PIPR grew, so did the purpose behind it. There was a pivotal shift when individuals living with Parkinson’s joined the movement and began participating at race weekend.
It was no longer just about understanding research for themselves — it was about using their donor dollars to not only grasp the complexities of the disease, but also to make a real difference in helping others living with it.
“I think that’s when the team’s success started, and that’s what held it together,” says Andrew. “The families that were impacted by Parkinson’s — the caregivers and the patients — were at the table. That became a very important part of the circumstances.”
Physicians and researchers are a part of the team
The medical experts at The Ottawa Hospital have been incredibly supportive and important to Team PIPR’s success.
“All the doctors are so ridiculously talented, smart, caring, and passionate.”
— Andrew Frank
“The doctors showed up and participated,” he says, referring to Dr. Michael Schlossmacher, Director of Neuroscience, and Dr. David Grimes, neurologist and Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic at our hospital. They are just two of many who have joined the team and continue to make groundbreaking advancements in neurological diseases. With the neuroscience research at the new hospital campus, there is the potential to become a global leader in the field.
“Fundraising is emotion.”
— Andrew Frank
“All the doctors are so ridiculously talented, smart, caring, and passionate,” says Andrew. “They’re so collaborative with us and each other. And once you get the doctors, the donors, and the patients together at the table, it brings the emotion level way up. Fundraising is emotion.”
While the member numbers for Team PIPR are consistently changing, they are a mighty group of around 150 individuals, connected by their shared desire to support neuroscience research and medical advancements.
Andrew Frank’s personal connection to PIPR
In 2000, Andrew received devastating news — his mother in Toronto had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Feeling helpless and distant, her diagnosis sparked a profound shift in him, driving his commitment to learn more, get involved, and make a difference. When Team PIPR was founded, his mother’s fight was a constant inspiration.
“It became more than just fundraising — it was about learning, supporting, and making a real impact.”
— Andrew Frank
Reflecting on the experience, Andrew shared, “It was a very supportive group because my mother was in Toronto, and I wasn’t connected to the Toronto community. Helping people here fundraise and connecting with leaders who also had loved ones with Parkinson’s created a deep, personal bond. It became more than just fundraising — it was about learning, supporting, and making a real impact.”
For Andrew, Team PIPR became a pillar of support during a difficult time, reminding him that he could be a changemaker in his mother’s care, and the care for others. Eight years after his mother’s passing, Andrew cherishes the memories of stepping up for her during her toughest years, when she needed her family the most.
Leaders in impact for sixteen years
Sixteen years ago, Team PIPR completed their first race at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Each year, as they prepare to race together, they also rely on each other to strategically drive their fundraising efforts, aiming to raise $100,000 annually.
The core of their team is investing. “We have to invest to grow,” Andrew explains. “Look at cancer research. If you’re investing, you’re going to see returns”
Every year, individuals living with Parkinson’s, caregivers, families, and donors complete the 2K together at race weekend.
Andrew remembers one particular year when he completed the 2K with his mother, taking 50 minutes. He smiles at the memory, knowing it wasn’t about the time — it was about the accomplishment they shared.
On the day following the 2k, Team PIPR doesn’t rest. They operate a water and cheer station on the marathon and half-marathon routes, wearing their deep-red Team PIPR shirts and motivating every runner — cheering for them proudly. It’s a reminder of their mission from 16 years ago and another way to be together.
“If you expect more, you have to deliver more,” Andrew says proudly. “We wanted to learn, we had a lot of ideas, and we put in a lot of hard work.”
Andrew observes the new campus development from his office every day, confident that Team PIPR is helping reshape the future of Parkinson’s research and will continue to drive change for patients. “We found the vehicle, and I wouldn’t turn back for a second,” he says.
