Thursday, May 3, 2012

For the past two years, Westminster College freshman volleyball player Taylor Frank has taken her efforts off of the court to help organize an annual benefit to raise money and awareness for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.

The event is a 5K race called The Bunny Hop that is held in honor of Frank's mother, Becky Frank, who passed away from a brain aneurysm. This year's event raised $10,000 and had 430 participants. Taylor helps organize the event with her sister Carly, her father Tim, along with several friends of the family.

"The event to us is mostly a way to give back to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation for all that they did for us while my mom was sick for just a short time," Taylor said. "When my mom was first diagnosed with the brain aneurysm, it was too late because it had already ruptured. We honestly had no clue what it really meant and the Brain Aneurysm Foundation website gave us some great insight as to what it was."
The Frank family takes great pride in the event to honor Becky and they receive support from the community and friends.

"We really enjoy celebrating my mom's life through the event, and simply by the number of people we can tell how many people really did care about my mom and how many people she helped throughout her life," Taylor said.

The event was held on April 7 and participants and the Frank family anxiously wait for a great turnout at next year's race.

"Many people look forward to our event for years to come and that really warms our hearts to know how much people care," Taylor said.

The Frank family continues its efforts to increase awareness about brain aneurysms through their support of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation so that other families can be knowledgeable of possible symptoms.

"The Bunny Hop is also a way to spread awareness about brain aneurysms which is most important in diagnosing them," Taylor said. "The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the world's only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to providing critical awareness, education, support and research funding to reduce the incidence of brain aneurysm ruptures."

The Bunny Hop will continue to be a great event to support families that have been affected by brain aneurysms, as well as honoring the memory of Becky Frank. For more information about the Brain Aneurysm Foundation visit their website at www.bafound.org.

By Nate Horgan, Senior - Public Relations Major

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster, a top-tier liberal arts college, ranks third in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 6th among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 376 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 42 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.