Tickets still available for 21st annual 'Brain Ball' at The Olmsted

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky will hold its 24th annual "Brain Ball" on Nov. 17 at The Olmstead on Frankfort Avenue.

The Varga family held the first Brain Ball in 2003 in support of Mary Varga, a brain injury survivor who was assisted by BIAK during her recovery.

Tim Laird, America's chief entertaining officer, along with Dave Danielson from Log Still Distillery, stopped by WDRB Mornings on Friday to give an early taste of what to expect.

This year's theme is "Derby in November, a lot of fun," Laird said. "We have Donna Brothers as one of our chair people. Of course, Steve Buttleman (the Churchill Downs bugler) will call us to the table from the cocktail hour. And we have Pat Day doing the invocation, and everything else."

There will be an open bar with two featured cocktails from Log Still Distillery.

"So we've got these signature cocktails, something very special," Danielson said. "This is a Brown Butter Old Fashioned. So it's something a little bit different. We start off with a 4-year-old Monks Road, and what we do is we take about a half a stick of butter, we brown it in a pan and then we add it into the bourbon. Then, we let it sit for a few hours and put it in the refrigerator overnight, and the butter solidifies and we take it off. And it leaves all that great, nutty unbelievable flavor in there.

"We start out with two ounces of Monks Road. And this is a brown sugar, simple syrup, so it's just a little bit darker, gives that great flavor. We're gonna hit it with a couple dashes of plum bitters and stir it up. Then you garnish that with an orange or cherry."

The Brain Ball will feature several fun raffle items, including six bottles of signed Pappy Van Winkle. Those raffle tickets are $100 each, and only a thousand are available.

Derby box seats will also be raffled, as well as tickets to the PGA tournament. Other items will be up for auction as well.

CLICK HERE to purchase raffle tickets and for more information on the event.

About the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky:

BIAK's mission is to serve Kentucky citizens whose lives have been affected by brain injury. BIAK does this through advocacy, education, prevention, service and support.

BIAK links survivors of brain injury and their families to support from others with similar experience; provides them with education and information about living and coping with brain injury; assists them in locating resources for financial assistance; and seeks to connect people with sources of emotional support. BIAK is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.