Awards

IU Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award - 2023

About The Ted Kitchel Family

Ted Kitchel came to Indiana University in 1978 to play basketball for Bobby Knight. What followed was legendary. He became a two time All-American and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. He later played professionally in Italy then became the voice of IU basketball on regional television. When Ted was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, he and his family desperately wanted to do something— anything—to raise awareness and help others with similar diagnoses. After much thought and discussion, they decided to establish the Ted Kitchel Parkinson’s Disease Research Fund through the IU School of Medicine, to which anyone could donate. More importantly, the fund could also receive monies generated through a new annual golf outing.

Getting a major new event off the ground is no easy task. Undaunted, Ted’s daughter, Mackenzie, spearheaded the first Ted Kitchel Golf Outing in 2019. The annual event draws around 200 friends and family from around the country, including Mike Woodson, Ted’s former teammate and current IU basketball coach. The event has raised more than $150,000, and all funds benefit the Ted Kitchel Parkinson’s Disease Research Fund, housed in the IU School of Medicine Department of Neurology.