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HIGHLAND - After a car accident almost cost 14-year-old Brayden Baer his life, the Highland community has rallied around their own “hometown hero.”
As Baer is recovering from his injuries, including two total lung collapses and a traumatic brain injury, Highland community members will host “Battle for Brayden” to help pay for medical expenses. This all-day event on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, will offer several activities and chances for people to participate, up to and including the main fight planned for that evening at the K of C hall.
“Everybody likes this kid. Everybody does,” explained Chris Freimann, who helped organize the event. “The lucky part is, we’re very thankful that he is home now and he’s starting to live a version of a normal life.”
The Battle for Brayden event starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday with a 5k. This is followed by a yoga class at 8:45 a.m., then a cornhole tournament at 11 a.m. All of these events take place at the K of C Hall in Highland. An all-vehicle Brayden Hero Run, styled after a poker run, will start at 11 a.m. at Railshake and conclude around 6 p.m. at the K of C Hall. An ax throwing tournament at The Game Yard will run from 12–4 p.m., and the highest scores will receive a prize.
For a full list of events, click here. All of these events have a cost or suggested donation to participate, and all proceeds will go to the Baer family.
You can also stop by Highland Car Wash and Scooter’s Coffee, where money from sales will be donated. The Cookie Doode pop-up in the Twice the Ice parking lot will donate a percentage of sales, as will The Lory Theatre and Patriot Kettle Korn, both of which will sell popcorn and refreshments for the main event.
The main event is scheduled for 7 p.m. that night at the K of C Hall, and tickets cost $25. This main event is a series of 18 fights, including Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing and MMA fights.
Freimann said community members have been training for months to prepare for the fights. Teachers, police officers, firefighters and neighbors from Highland will all be competing, as will UFC World Champion Matt Hughes. Freimann is especially looking forward to the fight between Dan Hochuli and Dwight Baxton; Hochuli is one of the firefighters who responded to Baer’s car crash.
“It’s absolutely awesome,” Freimann said of the main event. “Again, it’s back to that good moral compass. So not only helping a family, helping an event, helping a community, but doing better for yourself, getting into the gym. You might not have been a gym person before. Just getting out there and doing something better for yourself and overall the community.”
The main event will conclude with a “crazy pillow fight.” Freimann said some people have even been training with weighted pillows to prepare, and he can’t wait to watch the fun unfold. For more information about the main event and the fights, click here.
The Battle for Brayden event will also include a raffle, where you can win two guns, a jersey signed by Sam LaPorta, half a hog from Korte Meats, or a three-night stay in Las Vegas with $250 in spending money.
All of the money raised through the Battle for Brayden events, the raffles and donations will go back to the Baer family. Organizers hope to raise $100,000 on Sept. 7, 2024, to help the family cover current and future medical expenses.
“We’re seeing such amazing support across the board,” Freimann added. “It’s really that small town community love and support that, really, the St. Louis metro is kind of known for.”
For more information about Battle for Brayden, how to participate or how to donate, visit the official website at BattleForBrayden.com or the official Facebook page.
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