Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:0
AHN Staff
Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - The Canadian Expat Association named actor Michael J. Fox as the most influential Canadian expatriate in the world for his bravery in his battle against Parkinson's disease and his efforts to help the global campaign to help find a cure for the deadly ailment.
Fox - who was born in Edmonton, Alberta - beat ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, rock music icon Neil Young and first eBay president Jeff Skoll. Fox got 28.9 percent of the votes cast by members of the CEA and the general public.
The association sought nominees in July. It received hundred of names, but whittled down the final list to 17 Canadians. Members of CEA and the general public had the whole month of October to vote.
In second place was Gretzky with 11.4 percent of the votes. He was followed by journalist Tony Burman, Young and environmentalist Peter Allard.
Fox migrated to Los Angeles in 1979 when he was 18. He is known for playing the lead role in the Back to the Future series and Teen Wolf and the TV show Family Ties.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 and set up in 1998 the Michael J. Fox Foundation to battle the ailment. Since then the foundation has raised over $150 million.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved