MedStar NRH 30th Anniversary Victory Awards® Gala Raises $135,000 In 10 Minutes for Adaptive Sports Program

Honorees included Breaking Bad actor, RJ Mitte; former pediatric patient, Bensten Schone; D.C. businessman, Mark French

WASHINGTON, D.C., – April 15, 2016 — MedStar National Rehabilitation Network (MedStar NRH) hosted its 30^th anniversary Victory Awards® Gala at the Mellon Auditorium in D.C., on Wednesday, April 20. The emcee for this year’s ceremony was NBC4 anchor Doreen Gentzler.

The theme of MedStar NRH’s 30^th Anniversary Gala was “A Celebration of Brazilian Culture & Saluting Those Who Have Faced Challenges Through Their Disabilities.” The evening featured a seated dinner and presentation of the Victory Awards® which honorees received for their courage in facing the challenges of overcoming disabilities.

This year’s honorees included:

• RJ Mitte, award-winning actor from the hit AMC-TV show Breaking Bad
• Bensten Schone, age 7, a former pediatric patient with MedStar NRH/Children’s National Health System Center for Children’s Rehabilitation
• Mark French, D.C. businessman & former MedStar NRH patient

The three honorees were recognized for having shown exceptional strength and courage in the face of physical adversity. They serve as role models for all persons with disabilities.

All proceeds from this year’s Gala will support the new National Center for Brain Injury and Stroke Rehabilitation & Research, which is to be housed in a new addition at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in D.C. The Center will help maintain the network’s national leadership position in brain injury rehabilitation and research.

This year’s event raised more than $135,000 for MedStar NRH Adaptive Sports para-athletes who compete in various sports such as wheelchair basketball and tennis; quad rugby; sled hockey; rowing; handcycling; and sit volleyball. If you would like to support our adaptive sports and fitness programs, our other philanthropic efforts go to https://www.medstarnrh.org/ways-to-give/#q={}

About MedStar National Rehabilitation Network

The MedStar National Rehabilitation Network (MedStar NRH) is a regional system of rehabilitation care that offers inpatient, day treatment and outpatient services in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The Network’s interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation experts provides comprehensive services to help people recover as fully as possible following illness and injury.  Rehabilitation medicine specialists, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists work hand-in-hand with other rehab professionals to design treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.  Rehabilitation plans feature a team approach and include the use of state-of-the-art technology and advanced medical treatment based on the latest rehabilitation research.  

The Network provides comprehensive programs specifically designed to aid in the rehabilitation of adults and children recovering from neurologic and orthopaedic conditions such as amputation, arthritis, back and neck pain, brain injury, cancer, cardiac conditions, concussion, fibromyalgia, foot and ankle disorders, hand and upper extremity problems, post-polio syndrome, stroke, spinal cord injury and disease, and sports and work-related injuries.

Inpatient and day treatment programs are provided at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital located in Northwest Washington, DC and at more than 50 outpatient sites conveniently located throughout the region.  MedStar NRH is consistently ranked by physicians in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s “Best Hospitals” for Rehabilitation, and is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), with CARF accredited specialty programs for Amputations, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke.

For more on MedStar NRH and to find a location near you, log on to MedStarNRH.org.