Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

PRESS RELEASE

Parachuting with Purpose: BASE jumping nonprofit returns to Phoenix for a fifth year to fundraise for traumatic brain injury solutions

Post-event benefit concert to help organization reach symbolic $22,000 fundraising goal

PHOENIX, Jan. 17, 2024 (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)—Suicide is the second leading cause of death among post-9/11 veterans. Members of a veteran-run nonprofit will leap off of Camelback Mountain for a fifth year to fundraise for more advanced research and treatment options for veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other mental health issues currently contributing to the epidemic of veteran suicide.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, three 22 Jumps participants will each complete 22 BASE jumps off of Camelback Mountain—22 symbolic of the 22 United States active duty servicemembers and veterans who succumb to suicide each day. The jumps will be held as part of the 5th Annual 22 Jumps event at Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

This will be the group’s eleventh event nationwide. To date, the organization has raised more than $290,000 for traumatic brain injury research. Organization leaders hope to raise another $22,000 this weekend. Donations can be made online at www.22jumps.org/donate/.

As part of this year’s events, 22 Jumps has expanded to include a benefit concert, also on Feb. 3, at Dixxon Flannel Company’s Showroom located in Tempe, Arizona, featuring local bands Tropic Vibration, Khem-Chi, Pity The Foo, Emeryex and Fyx The Lynx. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Events are made possible by Cohen Veterans Bioscience, Dixxon Flannel Company, MyCarrier, VersaClimber, and Blackhouse Botanicals. Tickets for the show can be purchased on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3vx3keh. Proceeds support the Kiernan Wimmer TBI Innovation Initiative at Cohen Veteran Bioscience (CVB), a nonprofit biomedical research organization dedicated to fast- tracking precision diagnostics and tailored therapeutics for brain trauma, a major risk factor for suicide.

“I’m honored to bring 22 Jumps back to the city in which I grew up for a fifth year—the city where 22 Jumps started,” said 22 Jumps Founder Tristan Wimmer. “Phoenix is always welcoming, and the opportunity to fundraise for traumatic brain injuries in this way in the middle of the fifth- largest city in the county is something special.”

Representatives from 22 Jumps and CVB will be available at a booth at the Echo Canyon Trailhead until around 4 p.m. to discuss the importance of finding traumatic brain injury solutions.

CONTACT: Meghan Rodgers—Chief Communications Officer, 22 Jumps:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

About 22 Jumps

www.22Jumps.org

The rate of suicide among veterans is at an all-time high—22 per day, according to a 2012 US Department of Veteran Affairs study. Yet, despite this soaring statistic, scant public funding is allocated to the problem. 22 Jumps was founded in 2020 by Tristan Wimmer, Infantryman and Scout Sniper in 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, in response to his brother Kiernan Wimmer's suicide. Kiernan was a recon and MARSOC marine who served one tour in Afghanistan and one tour
in Iraq. In 2006, Kiernan sustained a massive TBI that diminished his quality of life and contributed to his decision to commit suicide. The event, 22 Jumps, began as a tribute to his brother, but Tristan quickly expanded its scope after learning about the countless families affected by veteran suicide.

About Cohen Veteran Bioscience

www.cohenveteransbioscience.org

Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) research organization dedicated to fast-tracking the development of diagnostic tests and personalized therapeutics for the millions of veterans and civilians who suffer the devastating effects of trauma-related and other brain disorders. CVB is harnessing the power of biotechnology (including neuroimaging, biometrics and biosensors) in combination with high-performance computing and data analytics to understand the underlying mechanisms of brain trauma and discover new ways to improve treatment for all patients.