Philanthropists Debbie Gaby, Kathryn Pidgeon to co-chair Brainiac Bash 2023

Brain Injury Alliance event will feature Gaby’s iconic Celebrity Catwalk

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona has announced that Valley philanthropist Debbie Gaby and lawyer Kathryn Pidgeon of Pidgeon and Hill PC are the co-chairpersons for the organization’s 2023 Brainiac Bash.

The second-annual Brainiac Bash will be held Jan. 14, 2023, at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. Last year the event raised $234,000 to fund brain health programs throughout Arizona, according to a press release.

“Kathryn and I know we’re a dynamite team. We established that many moons ago,” said Gaby. “This is going to be a phenomenal event.”

Gaby has worked with many Valley charities during her time as owner of Sleep America, in addition to her Debbie Gaby Charities organization. She was twice named the Most Influential Person in Valley Nonprofit from Arizona Foothills Magazine and received the “Woman of the Year” Award from Women of Scottsdale.

Gaby has personally donated more than $50 million to charitable causes through the years.

“We’re honored to have Debbie and Kathryn co-chair our 2023 Brainiac Bash, a Soiree to Support Brain Health,” said Carrie Collins-Fadell, CEO of The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona. “Debbie and Kathryn’s generosity has helped shaped the Valley nonprofit scene and now they’re leaving their mark on brain health at a time when the need for programs, services, and education has never been greater.”

Pidgeon is an adoption lawyer who is involved with multiple nonprofits in the Valley including serving on the boards of the Maricopa County National Adoption Day Foundation as president, Family to Family Foundation, Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation as honorary past board member, and an inaugural board member for the Family Formation Charitable Trust.

“I have a new passion to lift up and support survivors of brain trauma,” said Pidgeon. “I want to help spread the word and generate awareness.”

This year the Brainiac Bash will incorporate Gaby’s beloved Celebrity Catwalk with honorees from last year’s Brainiac Bash, local celebrities and dancers walking the catwalk.

Gaby said she was drawn to help the nearly 40-year-old nonprofit after learning about their unique mission.

“When it comes to supporting the brain health of Arizonians after accident, illness, injury, or trauma, the Brain Injury Alliance is unparalleled,” said Gaby. “I have met with their leadership and know the programs that Brainac Bash will support serve some of those made most vulnerable including veterans, military families, domestic violence survivors, and more.”

While thousands of Arizonans will be seen in an emergency room due to brain injury this year, and over 5.3 million people in the U.S. live with a permanent brain injury-related disability, brain injury tragically remains misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and rarely talked about.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona is a statewide organization that supports individuals with brain injuries and the professionals that serve them, through prevention, education, and awareness.