On October 17th, 2015, athletes from all over the country will come together, in association with The Joe Niekro Foundation to support brain aneurysm, AVM and hemorrhagic stroke research and awareness, for the 6th Annual Knuckle Ball, A Pitch for Life, at the JW Marriott Resort in Phoenix, AZ.  Proceeds from the evening will benefit neurological research at the Barrow Neurological Institute.

The black-tie evening, hosted by actress and brain aneurysm survivor, Tamala Jones, (ABC - Castle) will feature a festive reception, silent auction, formal dinner, event program, live auction and the opportunity to mingle with some of sports greatest legends - plus a few surprises in between. The gala, being hosted in Phoenix for the first time, is the foundation’s largest event of the year and pays tribute to those that have lost their lives to these fatal conditions, while honoring the survivors who are fighting everyday to recover.

Petrice “TC” Schuttler will be honored as the Joe Niekro Humanitarian of the Year for her outstanding commitment and contributions to the Phoenix community and the Joe Niekro Medical Humanitarian of the Year recipient, Joseph Zabramski, MD will be recognized for his ongoing research advancements treatment studies of brain aneurysms, AVMs and hemorrhagic strokes.

At the peak of his Major League Baseball pitching career, Joe Niekro was famous for his command of the knuckleball, a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. Like the knuckleball, Niekro’s life took an unpredictable path on October 27, 2006, when he died suddenly from a ruptured brain aneurysm. Since Joe Niekro’s tragic and sudden death, his daughter Natalie established The Joe Niekro Foundation, committed to supporting patients and families, research, and treatment of brain aneurysms, AVMs and hemorrhagic strokes. The organization provides education on the risk factors, causes and treatments of these conditions, while funding the advancement of neurological research.  

As many as one in fifteen Americans will develop one a brain aneurysm, AVM or hemorrhagic stroke; 10-15% of these individuals will die before reaching the hospital and over 50% will die within the first thirty days after rupture. Of those who survive, over half suffer permanent neurological deficit. For more info, visit www.joeniekrofoundation.com/events/knuckleball.