Rev asserts itself again as must-attend kickoff of May activities at Indy

As glamorous, exciting and sheer fun as the occasion was Saturday night at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the central figures involved all realized the greater good generated by Rev presented by Fifth Third Bank.

In its fifth year, Rev was once again a sellout allowing race fans and partygoers to rub elbows with Verizon IndyCar Series drivers and sample a wide selection of food options specially crafted for the night. It was all to benefit the IU Health Foundation in what has become a must-attend kickoff to the month of May.

“It’s a fun event but it’s also for a great, great cause that’s close to us all,” Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe said. “It’s really taken over as one of the staple events in the town now.”

More than 3,000 people were on hand this year. They were treated to the appearance of 18 Verizon IndyCar Series drivers; dozens of dining options created by local and national chefs in conjunction with drivers’ tastes; and music provided by bands and DJs culminating in attendees dancing on the racetrack’s iconic yard of bricks to the stroke of midnight.

Graham Rahal served as honorary chair for the event that raises funds for IU Health’s statewide trauma programs. It was particularly meaningful for the second-generation Indy car driver since presenting sponsor Fifth Third Bank is also a sponsor of his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.

“It’s an important event for all of us because, with IU Health, at a time of need for us, they’re always there,” Rahal said, “so to help the foundation is extremely important.

“It’s great to partner with companies that want to give back in this way. I’m proud to have Fifth Third here at Rev and spend some time with their customers. Hopefully this will continue on for many years to come.”

Doug Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, pointed out to those in attendance that the relationship between IMS and IU Health and its Methodist Hospital location in Indianapolis dates to the earliest days of the racetrack. The hospital provided its first motorized ambulance for events at the track in 1910, a year after IMS opened. The IU Health Emergency Medical Center inside the track is the busiest Level 1 trauma center in Indiana on Indianapolis 500 race day.

But the benefits of Rev expand far beyond the four turns of the IMS oval. When Crystal Miller, the president of the IU Health Foundation, spoke to the crowd, she proudly pointed to a mobile intensive care unit ambulance that was secured with funds raised from last year’s event.

“Not only are we taking care of patients and drivers at the medical center here at the track, but as you’ve heard, we’re taking care of Hoosiers across the state,” Miller said. This is our mobile intensive care unit. For those of you that were here last year, this is possible because of your support.”

IU Health is seeking public input to determine where to direct funds from this year’s Rev toward, by downloading the Rev Indy app and voting. The choices are:

• A precision medicine investigation study to determine how an individual’s genes, environment and lifestyle will likely affect recovery from major injuries;
• Expanding IU Health’s “Access Trauma” to create a statewide comprehensive trauma program.

Hinchcliffe remains a strong advocate for IU Health’s trauma care operations after his life was saved at Methodist Hospital in 2015 following a frightening crash during Indianapolis 500 practice. As the 31-year-old Canadian prepared to check out three food stations where he collaborated in preparing the menu items – Cajun steak bits with bleu cheese from Ruth’s Chris Steak House; cavatelli pasta with hazelnut, arugula, lemon and sausage; and shrimp and grits from IU Health Nutrition Services – Hinchcliffe realized the bigger picture.

“This is an event that literally benefits every single person that’s here – whether it’s drivers, whether it’s just people that are going to come to the race,” he said. “You hope you don’t need it (trauma care), but it can really benefit someone here or someone that you know.

“To be a part of it, it’s obviously a great cause to support, but at the same time the event is just so awesome. Seeing how much it’s grown over the last few years is just incredible and it’s a great way to kick off the month.”