‘The Power of Yes’ Drives CPN’s 2022 Racing to Recovery Gala 

Popular annual fundraiser taking place virtually and in person during Indy 500 race week

INDIANAPOLIS (April 6, 2022) – “Yes” is a simple word that can have a major impact in people’s lives. It’s why Conquer Paralysis Now has themed its 2022 Racing to Recovery Gala, set for Thursday, May 26, around “The Power of Yes.”

The popular fundraiser takes place annually during the week of the world-famous Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, with proceeds benefitting Conquer Paralysis Now (CPN). The nonprofit was founded by INDYCAR team owner and former driver Sam Schmidt and is dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries and treating those with disabilities at the DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in Las Vegas.

·         Register to attend the 2022 Racing to Recovery Gala virtually for free, buy tickets to attend in- person parties in Indianapolis or Las Vegas, or bid on auction items at: bidpal.net/powerofyes; or text “PowerofYes” to 243725

This year’s Racing to Recovery Gala will be a hybrid event. Tickets will be available to attend live, in-person parties with limited capacity at locations in Indianapolis and Las Vegas. As has been the case the past two years, the event will also be available virtually for free, with online attendees encouraged to organize their own private watch parties. Throughout the evening, there will be appearances from motorsports dignitaries including three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Robert Wickens, live music and much more. Live and silent auctions featuring one-of-a-kind items and experiences will raise money for CPN programs with an eye toward breaking the record of $825,000 raised last year.

“The Racing to Recovery Gala has become a staple of the Indy 500 scene and we’re excited to bring it back,” Schmidt said. “The motorsports community has lent such tremendous support to CPN and me through the years, and we’re confident they’ll come through again this year. 

“Our theme for 2022 is simple: ‘The Power of Yes’ means that simply by saying ‘yes’ – yes to attending the Racing to Recovery Gala in person or virtually, yes to donating items for the auctions, yes to bidding on and purchasing auction items, yes to becoming involved in CPN – you can make a huge difference in the lives of those battling disabilities every day. We hope everyone says ‘Yes!’ to the Gala this year.”

CPN, formerly the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, has hosted the Gala every year since 2000, the first coming just months after Schmidt suffered a spinal cord injury in a crash at an INDYCAR test and was left a quadriplegic. Conquer Paralysis Now aims to do just what its name states: conquer paralysis for the millions of people throughout the world who are or may become paralyzed. CPN assists people affected by paralysis and other neurological conditions to help put them on the road to independence. The nonprofit also enables trailblazing spinal cord research and is an advocate of making the world aware of the need to conquer paralysis.

CPN has raised more than $18 million through the years to fund scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances that lead toward a cure.

This year’s Racing to Recovery Gala begins at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, May 26. Official watch party locations are: Crane Bay, 551 W. Merrill St., Indianapolis, IN 46225; and Premiere Audio/Video Integration, 6008 S. Fort Apache Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89148.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s event. For more information on becoming a sponsor, contact Amy Wiles, CPN Director of Development, at (725) 206-5155 or amy@conquerparalysisnow.org.

In the meantime, follow Conquer Paralysis Now at the website, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.