Source: Event PR

INDIANAPOLIS (April 23, 2024) – One of the most popular events surrounding the Indianapolis 500 returns for the 24th time this year, with the onsemi Racing to Recovery Gala presented by Youth Opportunity set for Friday, May 24.

The star-studded and fun-filled event benefits Conquer Paralysis Now, the nonprofit founded by INDYCAR team owner and former driver Sam Schmidt, and will again offer the opportunity for attendees to join in person at locations in Indianapolis or Las Vegas, as well as virtually via a live online stream.

Under Schmidt’s guidance, CPN has been dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries and treating those with disabilities at the DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in Las Vegas. CPN announced last summer plans to move its national headquarters to Indianapolis and open a second DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center here once renovations to the location are complete.

The theme for this year’s Racing to Recovery Gala is “Not If, but When & When Is Now,” which has multiple meanings. It refers to discovering cures for spinal cord injuries or meeting recovery goals for those who are paralyzed. It also means that now is the time to support CPN and its mission, be it through attending or donating auction items for the Gala, making a financial donation or volunteering for the non-profit. Lastly, it signifies that the time is near for CPN to make its move to Indianapolis and further spread the reach of its facilities and resources.

“The Racing to Recovery Gala is back where we believe it belongs, on the same weekend as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” Schmidt said. “Hosting this great event following the traditional Indianapolis 500 Carb Day activities on May 24 means that the city will already be buzzing with excitement and that the Gala will be part of that.

“We have been fortunate to raise more than $1 million each of the past two years at the Gala,” Schmidt added. “It’s through the unwavering support Conquer Paralysis Now has received in the racing community, as well as our loyal supporters in the Las Vegas area. And we couldn’t do this without onsemi, a partner with our Arrow McLaren INDYCAR team that has stepped up as title sponsor of the Gala, as well as presenting sponsor Youth Opportunity Investments.”

The Indiana Roof Ballroom (140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204) returns as the site for the in-person party in Indianapolis, as does the Lake Mead Christian Academy Secondary Campus (655 E. Lake Mead Pkwy., Henderson, NV 89015) in the Las Vegas area. Doors will open at 6 p.m. ET Friday, May 24 in Indianapolis and 4 p.m. PT in Las Vegas. The virtual livestream kicks off at 7 p.m. ET with dinner at 7:30 p.m.

The Gala program begins at 7:45 p.m. ET. It will include remarks from Schmidt, CPN CEO Chad Towner and DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center Executive Director Brandi Kurka, a live Q&A with Arrow McLaren drivers, special guest appearances from the racing world, the creation of an original race painting by famed artist Bill Patterson and the start of the premium and silent auctions. The after party kicks into high gear at 9:15 p.m. ET and will include live music from Living Proof, casino games and continuation of the auctions. The entire evening will stream live for those unable to attend in Indianapolis.

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.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s event. For more information on becoming a sponsor, contact Chad Towner, CPN CEO, at (260) 797-2393 or gala@conquerparalysisnow.org.

Follow Conquer Paralysis Now at the CPN website, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

For more information and to purchase tickets to attend the 2024 Racing to Recovery Gala in person or virtually: 

·         Visit: https://one.bidpal.net/whenisnow/welcome

·         Text: WhenIsNow to 243725