Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event
Cerebrum Health Centers
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event
One of our guiding principles here at Cerebrum Health Centers is giving back. We believe it’s so important to invest in our community, especially when that means honoring our veterans who devoted their lives to protecting our freedoms. That’s why we were so happy to host and sponsor the Gala to Give Back, an event benefitting both the National Foundation for Brain Health and Feherty’s Troops First Foundation. In this inaugural event, we were able to raise an astonishing $500,000 dollars to support the veterans who’ve risked life and limb for their country. Every dollar we raised during the Gala to Give Back event goes directly to veteran’s healthcare. The event, held on September 18 in scenic Westlake, TX, was hosted by Cerebrum Founder Ken Beam, Chairman Lou Paletta, and President Jimmy Mathews.
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event The Gala to Give Back was attended by 250 guests, many of whom live in the greater Dallas area. In attendance were corporate supporters such as Joe DePinto of 7-11, Dave Seaton and Ray Barnard of Fluor Corporation, Tim Brittan of Infinity Oil & Gas, Matt Rose of BNSF, Mike Cole of Cici’s and Terry Horton of D.R. Horton. Local politicians also showed their support, including Laura Wheat, Mayor of Westlake, and Laura Hill, Mayor of Southlake. Former governor of Texas, Rick Perry, was unable to attend due to a prior engagement with Dancing with the Stars, but he was there in spirit (and on video). In a video played to the attendees, Gov. Perry said, “Cerebrum Health Centers has been doing some incredible things with our vets for some years now. “This facility, I have never seen anything like it in my life. It’s very nontraditional and I’m one of these big believers in results. I know there are a lot of folks that say well you need studies that take ten years, and our kids don’t have ten years. We’re seeing 25-30 of them commit suicide a day. We owe them this type of nontraditional outreach, this nontraditional work that has results. I can’t tell you how many mothers, or wives, or children have either written me letters or talked to me in person and said ‘thank you for giving my loved one back’ because of the work that Cerebrum Health Centers is doing.” We were surprised and deeply honored by the kind words shared about Cerebrum Health Centers from the former governor of the great state of Texas.
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event Military Support at The Gala To Give Back
One of the moments that moved everyone in the room was delivered by Iraq war veteran and retired Army Ranger, Sgt. Matthew Bessler. He shared, “I had severe hearing loss, vision, seizures, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t walk, I could barely balance, I would fall over. When I first came to Cerebrum, I walked down the hallway and I’d bounce off the walls. By the third day, I took my glasses off, I was walking erect, I was coming out of my shell. I think [it saved my life], realizing that life was there, the vision was there. It opened up everything, opened up senses, everything else and I know that it gave me a reason to live again.”
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event The Gala to Give Back was attended by dozens of active and veteran military service members, including former U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and General Leroy Sisco. Other luminaries in attendance included NFL wide receiver Miles Austin and conservative political commentator Glenn Beck who vocalized the sentiments of many in the audience when he said, “Before we went into Iraq, I said whatever we decide to do… let’s decide to be a people that are not going to treat our veterans like we did in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, I think we’ve missed the point. Instead of spitting on our veterans, many times they just become invisible. “The one thing we can do as citizens is to be able to help our veterans get help, to be able to get our veterans so they’re functioning again and not invisible[…] so they know that they’re going to make it and make the world a better place and they have a place in it.” We want to give a big thank you to everyone who attended our first ever Gala to Give Back. Because of your generous financial consideration, we’re able to support our veterans by investing half a million dollars to veteran’s healthcare initiatives. Thank you!
Learn more at the Cerebrum Health Centers Website
Highlights From Our Gala to Give Back Event