麻豆传媒

ESTEVAN — Jennifer Kuchinka is looking to create awareness and raise some funds for the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association by bringing a Brain Boogie walk to the city.

The event will happen on Sept. 14, starting at 10 a.m, near Fresh Air Fitness in Woodlawn Regional Park. Lunch will be provided after the walk. Tickets will be sold for a raffle, and Kuchinka said everyone who raises $40 will get a Brain Boogie T-shirt. 

"I'm just noticing the generosity in our community," said Kuchinka, who is a survivor of a brain injury. She released a book, When the Truck Hit, that chronicles what she went through after being hit by a semi more than a decade ago.

She has invited a lot of people to participate in the walk.

"This is the first time in Estevan that this event has happened. There are four other locations in Saskatchewan – Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon."

Those communities have larger populations, and Kuchinka asked why it couldn't happen here, since Estevan is a wonderful community with lots of generosity. Her goal was to raise at least $2,000, but she already has $1,300.

The survivor group that Kuchinka is part of will be coming to the event. There will be information to create a greater understanding.

The association hosts events like walks, drumming sessions and more. Other activities include spring and fall retreats, and a survivor and family camp.

"This association is all about providing awareness and the prevention of brain injuries," Kuchinka wrote on the event's Facebook page. "There are more and more survivors in our province every day. Brain injuries happen in sports, car accidents, slips and falls, and intimate personal violence every day. The retreats are informative and educational for survivors, like myself, and their families."

Kuchinka recalled that when she met CFL Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Dunigan at an event 10 years ago, she could tell Dunigan had suffered a brain injury. Concussions forced him to retire from the league in 1996.

She also recently read a stat that one in eight women who are affected by intimate partner violence have suffered at least one concussion.

"I personally know and have good friends who have experienced this, too," she said. "I just think there needs to be more supports in our community and in Saskatchewan."

Kuchinka said she is grateful for her support group and for the sponsors who have stepped forward to help make Estevan's first-ever Brain Boogie possible.

"You can't do things alone. It's easier to work together … and support each other. I really appreciate the supports this association has given to survivors like me. I've learned so much about nutrition and mindfulness. I'm just a regular person, and I'm just grateful for it."