February 18, 2019
Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine’s fourth annual Brain Bolt 5K has set new records, both for fundraising and participation. This year the event raised more than $117,000 thanks to the 564 registrants who signed up to race and raise money to support traumatic brain injury (TBI) research.
Goodman Campbell physicians and staff joined in the preparations and participated on race day to help make the event a huge success. The race also had a record number of sponsors this year, attracting nearly 70 companies and organizations that contributed monetary or in-kind donations. This year was also the first time Goodman Campbell offered a title sponsorship, for which we partnered with Cornerstone Companies. And of course, none of this would be possible without our volunteers—and they set a record this year, too, with more than 100 individuals working on the race.
The race took place on a sunny September day, emceed by Gunner from the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Show. This year’s event honored TBI survivors Paul Peaper and Ryan Bardellini. Alongside many other survivors, Ryan and Paul both finished the 5K course, with Paul earning his way to “Top Survivor Finisher”with support from his cheering friends and family. Ryan, meanwhile, shared a special moment of support as he walked the race with his mother, Kimberly, and his neurosurgeon, Dr. Charles Kulwin.
During the closing ceremonies, Dr. Kulwin and fellow neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Rodgers invited both Paul and Ryan to join them on stage. Each doctor shared stories about treating the two men, before Paul and Ryan shared stories themselves about the treatments they received. Ryan and his mother both expressed their gratitude for his treatment and the extraordinary care he received from Dr. Kulwin and the entire team at St. Vincent Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center.
Paul and Ryan are just two of the more than 50,000 patients annually in Indiana alone who sustain traumatic injuries of the head and spine. By sharing their stories, they helped participants understand the significant impact TBI has on patients, their families, caregivers, and our community, which is why funding more research is so critical.
To learn more about the fourth annual Brain Bolt 5K, and to hear the stories of Paul Peaper and Ryan Bardellini, take a moment to watch the video below. Also, be sure to check out our new event page on Facebook.