ABC 6 NEWS — In Rochester, a local organization seeks to bring people suffering from brain tumors and other similar conditions together with other community members.

Brains Together was started in 2007 by a group that included Sue Hruska, the mother-in-law of Keely Hruska, who now volunteers for the organization. Recently, the organization held their annual two-mile walk and 5K run.

“It’s just a way for my family to honor my mother-in-law,” Hruska, whose mother-in-law died in 2010 from a brain tumor, said.

She, and another Brains Together co-founder, Shelly Kuhlmann, say the event brings people in need together.

“This is really a day to bring patients together, bring caregivers together, because sometimes the diagnosis they have received is not very encouraging, Kuhlmann said. “So we wanted to have a morning where people can come together and meet others that are going through the same situation.”

Kuhlmann knows that struggle well, having had three family members, including her husband, diagnosed with brain tumors.

“One of the other important things that we do is we run a support group every month. A lot of people, if this is their first time hear, they’re just learning about that and they’re just learning about their diagnosis and what it entails for them and their family, and so we really encourage people to join that support group,” Kuhlmann said.

Brains Together’s event started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 5, and included a two-mile walk, a 5K run, a panel discussion, a silent auction and more. All the funds go to studies done at the Mayo Clinic.

“An important part of what we do is raise funds for research. we fund research projects at Mayo Clinic every year, all the money stays here at Rochester Mayo and we’re very proud of that and we’ve funded quite a few research projects in our 18 years,” Kuhlmann said.

For more information, and to learn how you can support the organization, or how you can connect with others with a similar diagnosis, you can visit Brains Together’s website, www.brainstogetherforacure.org.