After an auto accident in 2007, Duke Kimbrell was treated at Carolinas Rehabilitation – and he credits the facility for the crucial role it played in his recovery.
The W. Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation in Gastonia then took a tremendous step by donating a significant gift that will advance research programs offered at Carolinas Rehabilitation – one of the most comprehensive rehabilitation centers in the country, with facilities located in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties.
In 2009, Kimbrell – chairman of Gastonia-based textile giant Parkdale Mills – committed to a $300,000 “challenge” gift to establish the W. Duke Kimbrell Rehabilitation Research Endowment benefiting Carolinas Rehabilitation (CR). This generous gift, as well as planned matching gifts to be secured by the facility, will be used to support critically important programs and services, including the development of a new Research Pavilion, a Human Performance Laboratory and an innovative technology program. These elements will help further transform CR’s research program into one that is at the leading edge of technology and new treatment initiatives.
“This generous gift from Mr. Kimbrell will heighten our visibility as a leading clinical research site for physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as lay the groundwork for additional philanthropic and federally funded research support,” said William Bockenek, M.D., chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Duke Kimbrell has created a lasting legacy as both a business and philanthropic leader. As a result of his generosity and vision, Carolinas Rehabilitation now has the potential to further develop world-class research that will improve quality of life for rehabilitation patients locally and beyond.