Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan Have Date Night at A Country Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s Event

Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan enjoyed a night out while supporting a good cause.

The longtime couple kicked off Parkinson’s Awareness month by attending The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s A Country Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s event on Tuesday.

Held at Nashville’s Belmont University, the red carpet gathering included an exclusive cocktail reception and country music concert attended by the likes of Sheryl Crow, Little Big Town and Jason Isbell.

Fox, 62, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and went public with his diagnosis in 1998. He developed his foundation in the fall of 2000, to help aid in Parkinson’s research.

Since its development, the foundation has raised over $1.75 billion, per its website.

During an appearance on CBS Mornings in November 2023, the actor explained that his goal with the foundation was to give a voice to the voiceless.

“They didn’t have money, they didn’t have a voice, and I thought, I could step in for these people and raise some hell,” said Fox. “It’s not a cure. But it’s a big spotlight on where we need to go, and what we need to focus on so we know we’re on the right path, and we’re very proud.”

He credited Pollan — to whom he’s been married since 1988 — as one of his biggest supporters.

“I love Tracy obviously and she’s an amazing person and has gone through a lot. I realize she has a life separate from me having Parkinson’s, from me being Alex Keaton or Marty McFly, she’s a person. I think that’s why it’s gone okay,” said Fox.

When asked if there were any rules he and Pollan follow in their marriage on Tuesday, Fox jokingly tells PEOPLE they “make it up” as they go along.

“It’s interesting, being married for 35 years,” Fox tells PEOPLE in Nashville. “Yeah. I mean, the joke is you say I’ve been married 35 years, and it’s [been] the best 35 years of my life so think about that one for a second.”

Fox adds that, “It’s great having a partner and having someone that knows you in a [certain] way when everyone in the world thinks they know you. [Only] one person actually knows you.”

In January, Fox’s film Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie was recognized as the Best Documentary at the National Board of Review Gala. During his acceptance speech, he called Parkinson’s disease a “gift.”

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“It’s been a gift that keeps on taking,” he said. “It’s been a gift because it’s given me an audience to talk about what’s possible.”