UFC fight raises $4M for brain injury research

[unhappycamper]

UFC fight raises $4M for brain injury research
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 16, 2008 15:59:27 EST

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A charity Ultimate Fighting bout at Fort Bragg raised $4 million for a planned $70 million research center for traumatic brain injuries, one of the most common combat injuries suffered by troops in Iraq.

“We’ve never brought in that much money in three hours,” said Bill White, president of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Sponsored by the national promotional group Ultimate Fighting Championship, the event billed as “Fight For The Troops” was broadcast live on cable station Spike TV from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville. It is the second sanctioned UFC fight at a U.S. military base and 12,000 tickets for the mixed martial arts event were available only to Fort Bragg soldiers.

All money raised went to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House, a national network of homes at military and veterans hospitals where family members can stay free, officials said.

The organizations are working with the Department of Defense to help build the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a research facility in Bethesda, Md., that will be dedicated to treating troops who suffer from traumatic brain injuries. The center will bring together advances in research, diagnosis and treatment from inside and outside the military.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_ultimate_fighting_tbi_121608/%2e



uhc comment: It's interesting that the government needs fights, bake sales and donations to take care of wounded soldiers.

[LostinVA]

1. Post this in the Lounge

There's a group of us over there who are huge UFC fans.

I watched that special -- including the icky injury Corey Hill got.

Kudos to Dana White for making the UFC into a great sporting association!

[NOW tense]

2. Agreed