Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, or BVRC’s, annual Power of the Purse event is back! Since 2011, BVRC has hosted the beloved evening affair as a fundraiser to support its mission of providing state-of-the-art rehabilitation services for all.
Starting as a grassroots effort fueled by the dire local need for specialized healthcare, BVRC opened its doors in 1957. For nearly 70 years, it has been serving the Brazos Valley community as the only healthcare facility of its kind in Bryan/College Station.
“We are the only free-standing comprehensive outpatient and rehabilitation center,” says Alina Fifer, Chief Executive Officer of BVRC. “We participate not only with all the Medicaid plans; we participate with all commercial insurance plans, and when you have exhausted all your benefits, we will provide financial assistance. That's where Power of the Purse comes into play — that's what it helps fund.”
This year, Power of the Purse will be themed the “Crystal Edition” in honor of its 15th year, so guests should come prepared for a little extra sparkle.
“We try to make it special and just a little bit different, while maintaining a recipe that our attendees have learned to love,” Alina says. “It's not a black-tie event. It is not a luncheon. It's a fun night out. Grab a couple of girlfriends, grab your husband or your dad or your partner and make a night of it! It will be a great night of networking with an amazing dinner, where people can connect and have a great time while shopping.”
As the evening progresses, BVRC will present the 2024 Kid of the Year, a long-held tradition by BVRC that is awarded to a patient whose hard work and perseverance serve as an inspiration to others. This year, BVRC has added a special twist to the title — or two.
“For the first time ever in the history of the clinic, we have a trifecta, a triple Kid of the Year,” Alina says. “Our Kid of the Year for 2024 is actually a group of three siblings, all who are patients at the clinic. This family is so incredible. The kids are all various ages and with various needs, but they have all done so great, so we decided all of them — the whole family — deserve the recognition.”
April Fitzsimon, mother of the 2024 Kids of the Year, Brooklyn (12), Wyatt (7) and Finn (3), will be sharing her family’s story as the keynote speaker at this year’s Power of the Purse fundraiser. As a five-year frequenter of BVRC, April says the clinic has become a family community for herself and her children.
“They cater to the child and what they need,” April says. “It's not just, ‘Here's your drink of water,’ it’s, ‘Here's your whole meal, and we are so proud of you.’ I’ve watched my kids grow in confidence because they don’t just focus on their abilities, but the child as a whole person. It’s, ‘Let's make sure that not just your speech has improved, but that you're confident and you're proud ofyourself,’ and I love that. I love that they celebrate all the milestones — big and little.”
At the heart of the event, Power of the Purse is about recognizing all those milestones, and the ones who made it possible from the background.
Having one child with a disability
is a lot of coordination, a lot of scheduling changes, referrals, appointments and so on and so forth, so when you think about three children needing special health care services, she’s just an absolute superwoman,” Alina says.
“She is the absolute epitome of what a mom should do and what the perfect scenario for therapy success looks like. At Power of the Purse, we honor the Kid of the Year and their outstanding progress, but also the people who made it all possible, and Mrs. Fitzsimon is a testimony of motherly love and dedication and commitment to her children's health and well-being needs.”
BVRC would like to give a special shoutout to Montelongo’s Fine Jewelry, who have generously donated this year's raffle prize,as well as to their loyal and new sponsors who are making Power of the Purse 2024 possible.
“Once again, we would like to thank our sponsors in the community for allowing us to continue putting on an amazing event and of course, thank you to the community as a whole for purchasing tickets and making Power of the Purse such a success,” says Alina.
Power of the Purse 2024 will be held at the Ice House on Main on Friday, April 26 at 6 p.m. For more information about the event or BVRC, visit brazostherapy.org.
