Hundreds Gather at Loose Park for Annual Going the Distance for Brain Injury Race in Support of “Team Ralph

On Monday, hundreds of people gathered at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri for the annual Going the Distance for Brain Injury race. The event, which is organized by the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City, was attended by 1,000 people, many of whom wore neon green T-shirts in support of “Team Ralph.”

The team was created in honor of 17-year-old Ralph Yarl, who was shot while trying to pick up his younger brothers in April. Yarl suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the shooting, and Monday’s event was his first major public appearance since the incident.

Yarl was joined by his mother, Cleo Nagbe, and other family, friends, and brain injury survivors. Nagbe spoke ahead of the race, emphasizing the need to raise awareness about the causes of brain injuries, particularly gun violence.

“It takes a support group, all of that,” Nagbe said. “Let’s raise more awareness to stop the things that cause brain injuries and should not be causing them, especially gun violence.”

The event was a success, with many participants expressing their support for Yarl and the cause. “It was a great turnout,” said Robin Abramowitz, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City. “It was really inspiring to see so many people come together to support Ralph and raise awareness about brain injuries.”