Buffalo Grove High School Students Mount Fundraising and Awareness Campaign for Traumatic Brain Injury

     Buffalo Grove High School students in teacher Kate Smith's Psychology class recently viewed a documentary, The Crash Reel, featuring professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce's disastrous accident while training for the 2010 Olympics and his resulting traumatic brain injury (TBI).  The movie related to the brain, nervous system, disorders, treatment, and motivation concepts that the class had studied throughout the school year.  The Crash Reel also explores the safety measures that should be taken to prevent head injuries in sports, and how injured athletes should be treated and monitored.  The film is very motivational, showing how Pearce's family rallied together to deal with an extraordinarily difficult time, as he moved from coma to rehabilitation and recovery.

     "My students were captivated and greatly moved by Kevin's story," Smith said.

     They wanted to do something in support of Pearce’s non-profit organization, "Love Your Brain," which raises awareness, support, and monetary assistance for families experiencing TBI. One of the fundraising efforts is the sale of t-shirts. 

     "Every year my Psychology students create and order a fun t-shirt to represent the class.  This year we did something different and ordered Kevin's t-shirts.  After contacting the organization, they agreed to sell the shirts to us at a discount and, of course, all proceeds will go to support the organization."

     The Psychology class was proud to have sold 75 shirts this year, to help fund the efforts of "Love Your Brain."

     "I am very proud of my students for being so excited and passionate about raising awareness and respect for a good cause," commented Smith. 

     For more information about Pearce's story and "Love Your Brain," visit www.kevinpearce.com/.