RAM Celebrates Life, Legacy of Stan Brock;  Announces Knoxville Clinic 2024 

28th-Annual Knoxville Clinic set for three days in January 2024 

Remote Area Medical – RAM® – a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical care to those in need – celebrates the life and legacy of Volunteer, Founder and President of Remote Area Medical Stan Brock. Brock – who founded RAM in the foothills of East Tennessee in 1985 – passed away five years ago on Aug. 29, 2018, at the age of 82.

“Stan never asked, ‘Can we do this?’ Instead, it was always, ‘How do we do this?’” Remote Area Medical Chief  Executive Officer Jeff Eastman said. “Today, tens of thousands of volunteers honor his legacy by providing free healthcare to those in need. He continues to be a driving force within the RAM community. Each of us is  honored to be a part of the journey he started.”

Remote Area Medical continues that journey – and Brock’s legacy – by furthering the mission to prevent pain and alleviate suffering. The tradition of serving others – especially in RAM’s own backyard – extends with the 28th annual Knoxville Clinic. The free, three-day clinic is set for Jan. 12-14, 2024 at the Jacob Building in  Chilhowee Park, 3301 E. Magnolia Ave.**

The Remote Area Medical Knoxville, Tenn. Clinic is one special to the organization. RAM operates on a  Community Host Group (CHG) model where individuals or organizations within a community recognize a need and invite RAM to host a clinic. RAM only goes where it’s invited, and it can take CHGs a year or more to organize a clinic. However, in the case of the Knoxville Clinic, RAM serves as the CHG, hosting free dental,  vision and medical services in its own community.

Since 1997, RAM has provided $8,856,367 worth of free care to 21,981 individuals through the yearly clinic in  Knox County. Nearly 11,000 volunteers have come together in the past 27 years to serve the Knoxville community, it all starting with Stan Brock.

“Stan was integral in delivering free healthcare to the underserved communities,” RAM Chief Operations  Officer Chris Hall said. “His legacy is carried forward by the countless volunteers that make this event possible.  Stan’s impact still carries forward beyond his years!”

Brock – born in Preston, Lancashire, England – founded Remote Area Medical in 1985 following a promise he made to the Wapishana Indians. Brock managed the Dadanawa Ranch – the world’s largest cattle ranch operation consisting of 4,000 square miles of rainforest and savannah in British Guiana – from 1952 to 1968.  He suffered a terrible horse-related injury while living among the Wapishana, learning it was a 26-day trek on foot through the jungle to the nearest doctor. Later, as an experienced bush pilot and certified airline transport pilot, Brock vowed to bring medical care closer.

Following his stint as co-host of NBC’s Emmy-winning series, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom – a show with more than 32 million weekly viewers – he put his life’s savings into founding Remote Area Medical. He served,  without compensation, as RAM’s Founder and President until his passing on Aug. 29, 2018. His business cards always read, “Volunteer, Founder & President,” as Stan Brock was a true volunteer first. He worked to  break down barriers of access to care, whether that be distance to a doctor, lack of insurance or the inability to afford high deductibles.

“RAM is the way I have kept a promise, not only to the Wapishana Indians, but to thousands around the world in similar health conditions,” Brock once said. “In other words, there are Wapishanas everywhere.”

Over the past 38 years, the mission that Brock started has now provided free healthcare to more than 910,000  individuals, while delivering more than $189.5 million worth of services across the U.S. and beyond. In the five  years since his passing in 2018, RAM continues to embody his phrase – “Never Forget the Mission.”

Those interested in honoring Stan Brock’s memory are encouraged to donate any amount in $5 increments ($5, $55, $500) on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Donations can be made via the Remote Area Medical website at  www.ramusa.org/donate