As ultra marathoner Hunter de Garmo of Wiscasset takes each stride May 2 during his 31-mile run inside the Boothbay Region YMCA, his mother will be on his mind. In 2004, Barbara de Garmo was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Her son is running Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to raise money for Maine Parkinson Society’s Respite Care program.

This is the second year he has organized Stride, a Boothbay Harbor fundraiser with road racers of all levels and anyone who can walk or run to raise money for the charity. De Garmo, 37, developed Stride during one of his long ultra marathon training sessions.  He frequently trains at the BRYMCA running on the indoor track. His training sessions are usually dominated by silence as he focuses on making sure his running stride is perfect.

During a past training session,  he saw signs around the track which read “walk, jog, run.”

“I was thinking about a name for my fundraiser then it hit me, stride!” he said.

Last year, Stride raised $5,000 through donations and local sponsorships. The proceeds go to Maine Parkinson Society’s Respite Care Program which provides patients with funds for exercise classes and other  disease-related costs. De Garmo describes the program as providing a financial boost for those struggling with the disease.

“It gives thousands of people in Maine, like my mom, $500 per year. Due to the price of medication, this is a huge help. Fundraisers like Stride aim directly at working with those in the community to increase the good that the Respite Care Program can do,” he said.

Last year, de Garmo ran the 31 miles by himself except for a few people who joined by either walking or jogging a few laps. This year, he has two runners keeping him company. Dr. Aqui Alamo will run the entire 31 miles with de Garmo and Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch will run a portion of the course. De Garmo invites all those interested in running with them to do so.

“Stride is a unique event where anyone can walk, run or jog with an ultra endurance athlete. There are other local runners joining us and I personally invite everyone to join us.”

His long term mission for Stride  is giving those connected to Parkinson’s disease a chance to connect with individuals, businesses and community programs for inspiring a healthy lifestyle. “With a growing population of Mainers being diagnosed each year, events like this are pivotal in educating entire generations and inspire caregivers to reach out and understand there are opportunities and that people care.”

From 9 a.m. to noon, a social hour will be held in the Y’s Coastal Club Room. For a $10 suggested donation, local runners can run any distance during the event to show their support for Parkinson’s disease-related programs.