Matt came to The Thomas E. Smith Foundation looking to accomplish the goal of purchasing his own FES Bike, an important rehabilitation tool that often times can be a daunting fundraising task. As part of a group of those assisting Matt in his purchase, we are proud to present the final leg of his fundraising effort that allowed him to reach his goal. With our $3,940 grant, Matt will be able to utilize in-home therapy that will allow him to continue having progression in his recovery. To learn more about Matt and his background, please click this link.

INDIANA- Erica Predum, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, is 27 years old and a mother of 2 boys. In 2007, Erica was injured when she rolled her SUV on the highway. After suffering a C5/C6 spinal cord injury, doctors told her she would never walk again. Erica is a fighter, and her spirit shines through in who she wants to be for her young family. With a great attitude, she embraces the fact that they are her motivation, and her biggest pursuit has been staying healthy and active for them. We are honored to provide Erica and her family with a $4,000 physical therapy grant that will cover 5 months at Sud’n Impact Gym in Indiana. Her passion for exercise and spending time doing therapy are very important for her independence and overall well-being, and she will now be able to spend additional hours and days in the gym. With our assistance, Erica will be able to focus her fundraising efforts on bigger projects while we help ease the burden of her physical therapy costs. Making a quick and meaningful impact for Erica was our goal, and we wish her the very best over the next 5 months as she continues to work hard and get stronger for the people she loves.

To learn more about Erica’s story, please follow the link below to see her inspirational video.

 
Erica Predum Story

PITTSBURGH- As part of the 2013 Frozen Four NCAA Ice Hockey Championships, Co-Founder Tucker Mullin was honored as this year’s BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award recipient. The Hockey Humanitarian Award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen and according to the HHA Committee, the award seeks “not to celebrate Hall of Fame athletes, but rather Hall of Fame of human beings.” Mullin is the third non-Division I winner of the award since 1996 inaugural recipient, J.P. McKersie of Boston University.

Mullin earned his nomination for the award as a result of his extensive charitable activity, including his role as Co-Founder with The Thomas E. Smith Foundation, as well as his service as an On-Campus Ambassador for Team IMPACT, a New England-based non-profit that works with children facing life-threatening diseases.

We are honored to be presented on such a huge stage, and we are confident we will continue growing so that we can support more of those affected by and living with paralysis. To learn more about the award and the many other amazing nominees and finalists, and the causes they represent, please visit the Hockey Humanitarian Award Website. Thank you all once again for such great support over the years, we are looking forward to many more years of success.

USCHO.COM Article

Interview w/ Tucker Mullin

Nick Malafronte is a life-long member of the Abington, MA community along with his parents Vic and Diane, and his brothers Jack and Sam.  He is a 2010 graduate of Abington High School, and was a standout athlete playing on the football, hockey, tennis and ultimate Frisbee teams.

On Thursday July 14th, 2011, then nineteen-years old, Nick suffered a severe spinal cord injury from an accident while working as a lifeguard at The Island Grove Pool in Abington. Since then, he has received treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Shepherd Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, GA. Throughout his ordeals, Nick has consistently been an inspiring and positive role model for others similarly situated, and he demonstrates what it truly means to be a dedicated and hard working individual.

Currently, Nick is a student at Westfield State University and he is fully committed to making a recovery and inspiring others along the way.  In order to support Nick and his goals, it is our pleasure to provide Nick and his family with a $4,800 grant to Journey Forward. Nick’s “I will walk again” attitude is infectious, and we look forward to our relationship with he and his family.

Please visit NickMalafronte.org to learn more about his story and his goal towards walking again.

Coach Joe Racicot was born on November 1, 1954 in Pittsfield Massachusetts. In his younger years, Joe was a gifted athlete, and loved to compete against his friends within the Berkshire County community.

All of this changed on July 3, 1981 when Joe suffered a tragic diving accident which left him with a serious spinal cord injury. With a diagnosis of quadriplegic, Joe found himself in an extremely difficult situation. Through this adversity, Joe gained confidence and determination which led him on a path to become the beloved coach and mentor of hundreds of student athletes. For decades, Berkshire County athletes and their families have witnessed as Coach Racicot has refused to give in to his disability. He has been steadfast in the principle of leading by example, and his determination and resolve has been inspirational to all who know him.

In honor of Joe and his unrelenting spirit, community members in the Pittsfield area banded together in order to show support for their friend. They formed a committee, Joe-On-The-Go, and their goal was to raise enough funds to put Joe in a vehicle that was safe and reliable. This vehicle is necessary at this point because his ability to get out his wheelchair and into his car seat has become extremely difficult and dangerous. We are very proud to play an integral role in making their goal a reality. Please visit his website for more information on Joe and the amazing people behind the Joe-On-The-Go committee.

www.CoachRacicot.com

Our 3rd Annual Golf Tournament was successful yet again as the event raised $20,500 towards our cause! We are truly grateful for everyone who was a part of our event and were happy to host so many of our closest supporters, many of whom have been here since the beginning. It is amazing to see that in 3 short years we have had such an impact in our community. We have a great platform in Tom’s story that has allowed us to gain traction in the SCI community, a huge part of  us becoming a reliable non-profit organization for those living with paralysis.

Our golf tournament signifies an annual event that brings together contributors of all kinds, but it also gives us a chance to talk about who we are helping and why it is so important. It was our pleasure this year to host grant recipients Jared Coppola (North Reading, MA) and Chic Kelly (Norristown, PA). Their experiences symbolize the need for our cause, but more so the unbreakable spirit they exhibit every day. We thank them for being a part of our great event and our success is dedicated to people like them. We encourage all of our supporters to learn more about their stories and how you can help.

Special thanks to all our hole sponsors!

All Star Staffing
Andover Police Patrolmen’s Union
Asphalt Services
AutoUse
Beacon Consulting
Boston Sand & Gravel
Cala’s Food & Spirits
Converse
Firicano Boxing & Fitness Center
Ford Painting & Wallpapering Co
Friend St. Ticket Agency
Griffin Greenhouse
Joseph H. Young Plumbing & Heating
Konjoian Education Center
Market Basket
Mason Esthetique Christiane Bourque Spa
Mrs. Edward Godett
North Shore Heating Supply
North Shore Mechanical Contractors
North Shore Nutrition Consultants
Paradigm Sports
Rich & Tami Bane
Robin Kramer Garden Design
Shawsheen Plaza Sunoco in Andover, MA
Saint Anselm College Alumni Association
Weil-McLain
Whirlaway Golf Center

Swampscott Reporter Article

]]> http://justcureparalysis.org/3rd-annual-golf-tournament/feed/ 0 http://justcureparalysis.org/bowling-for-boshman-8000-contribution/ http://justcureparalysis.org/bowling-for-boshman-8000-contribution/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 15:53:17 +0000 admin http://www.justcureparalysis.org/?p=986

On Saturday April 28th, Chris Boshar’s Restore The Bosh Fund hosted “Bowling for the Boshman” at Lucky Strikes at Jillian’s in Boston. Chris Boshar, a North Andover, MA native, is 25 years old and a Graduate of UMass Amerst with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Unfortunately, on July 2, 2011 he suffered a spinal cord injury in the C4-C5 region of his vertebrae. Chris is an inspiration to anyone who meets him, pre and post injury, and we were honored to be a part of his widely successful event. As part of our involvement, it was our pleasure to provide Chris and his family with an $8,000 contribution towards his recovery. To learn more about Chris and his plan to getting back on his feet, please visit the link below.

Restore The Bosh

This past March, Jared Coppola of North Reading, MA was a recipient of a $4,000 contribution towards the purchase of his mobility equipped Ford Focus. Jared is a former St. John’s Prep football player who was injured on September 4, 2009 in a pre-season game, who has since been committed to making a recovery. We are excited to be able to assist Jared and his family, and we honor his hard work and dedication towards standing up once again. To learn more about Jared and his family, follow the link below to see his feature story on ESPN’s E-60: Running for Three.

E60: Running for Three

On November 23, 2011 The Thomas E. Smith Fight to Cure Paralysis Foundation presented a $10,000 grant to former Merrimack College hockey player Chic Kelly.  Chic was injured in 1988 while playing for Merrimack, leaving him a C-5 Quadriplegic.  Since his injury, Chic receives $30,000 annually from the NCAA according to their catastrophic injury policy; which in 1995 was upgraded to $100,000.  Despite his appeals to the NCAA, Chic has been unsuccessful in his efforts to be considered under their new policy.  We are proud to provide Chic with his grant, which will be used towards his nursing care this coming year.  To learn more about Chic, his story, and how you can help please visit ChicKelly.com. The Thomas E. Smith Foundation would like to extend a special thank you to the Merrimack College Athletic Department for their help in coordinating the event.

Event featured in Eagle Tribune

On August 31, 2011 The Thomas E. Smith Foundation gave a $1000 grant to Gregg Murray.  Above is a picture of Gregg with founders Thomas Smith and Tucker Mullin.