| |  | Thank You To Our Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors A Special Thank You to Our Supporters |
| | Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB) statement can be found here. |
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We rely on donations, sponsors and grants to fund our peer programs. If we made a difference in your life or that of someone you love, consider a donation to allow us to continue to assist others as we assisted you. SCIboston is recognized by the IRS as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. |
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| | | THE POWER OF ART GALA WAS A HUGE SUCCESS! |
| We are truly grateful for everyone who attended and supported our organization at this year's Gala: The Power of Art! We can't help but relive these treasured moments! The music, the artwork, and the energy of the crowd all contributed to an unforgettable night! The Gala was a magnificent celebration of The Power of Art and generosity, and we are so thrilled to be nearing 100% of our fundraising goal for this event! You can help us get there! Your contributions can make a significant impact, and with the generous offer from the Lenny Zakim Foundation to match new donations up to $15k, your support will be doubled and go even further in helping us continue our mission.
Please visit https://sciboston.salsalabs.org/2025galadonation
to donate. Any amount would go a long way! Thank you to our sponsors and donors for your generosity and support. Thank you to our gala volunteers for your hard work and time. A special thank you to our talented Fundraising Committee (below) for your dedication to making every gala fun, meaningful, and powerful. |
| | Watch this wonderful recap of the night by clicking the play button. A full gallery of photos will be available soon! |
|  |  | Looking to Connect with a Peer Mentor? Are you or a family member looking to connect with one of SCIboston's trained peer mentors? Many people find it helpful, reassuring, and hopeful to talk to a mentor about adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury. Topics of conversation could include getting back to work or school after a sci, adaptive sports, relationships and intimacy, bladder and bowel management, and more. We match individuals with peer mentors based primarily on gender, injury level, age, interests, and family life, amongst other considerations. SCIboston's mentors also lead many of our virtual support groups, as well as attend them to provide support to others. SCIboston Peer Mentors have completed SCIboston and United Spinal Association Peer Training Program, completed HIPPA training, passed background checks, and are, in many cases, certified Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital volunteers. If you'd like to hear more about the program or wish to connect with someone, please contact SCIboston's Peer Mentor Coordinator, Diane, at diane@sciboston.org to learn more today. To learn more about our Peer Mentor program click here to watch our Saturday Education Series about it. |
| Meet SCIboston's 2025 Boston Marathon Runners! |
| Gustav Jigrup I am beyond excited to share that I will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon on behalf of SCIboston! This is a lifelong dream of mine that I am sure I will cherish forever. Learn more about Gustav and donate to his campaign here! |
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| Jay Bolton Hello SCIboston, marathon training is going well, especially as the weather starts to improve in the Northeast! I’ve completed 15 mile and 18 mile runs the last two weekends and am slated to do 21 miles this Saturday, which will be the longest run of my training plan. I continue to find motivation in the mission of SCIboston and look forward to representing you all on race day!! Thank you to everyone for the support!. Learn more about Jay and donate to his campaign here! |
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| | The advocacy newsletter will be later than usual this month and may look a bit different. In the meantime, check out some of the highlights of the past month! 1. Thanks to all who showed up for the PCA rally at the state house! 2. HHS is being restructured and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will be dissolved, with "critical departments" being transferred to other agencies. The ACL was dedicated to supporting those living in the community and their caregivers. 5. Worried about the fate of the state budget, or programs funded by the budget? The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Ways and Means is hosting their Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Hearing on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 at 11:00 AM at the statehouse and virtually. This is an opportunity to share (testify) the impact of potential budget decisions on you. Testimony may also be submitted in writing. Register here. 7. Now that the government has averted a shutdown by passing a continuing resolution, attention has returned to budget reconciliation. This provides another opportunity to tell your legislators "Hands Off Medicaid!". 8. Finally, the United Spinal Association has just launched their "Advocacy Hub" Facebook group as a way for advocates from around the country to share, collaborate, and engage with each other. Check it out! As always, click here to sign up for advocacy related emails and to check out former newsletters. Vita Brown (she/they) Advocacy Coordinator |
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|  The second SCIboston “TR24” Legacy WIFFLEBALL Tournament will be held on June 14, 2025, and will continue to benefit SCIboston’s Travis Roy Legacy Grant Program. The grants are used for durable medical equipment not covered by insurance and vehicle modification costs. These grants aim to positively impact the quality of the lives of people with spinal cord injuries. From 2001 until 2021, the Travis Roy Foundation WIFFLE BALL Tournament was held at the Little Fenway Complex in Essex Junction, Vermont. Over the years more than $7.5 million was raised and provided support to thousands of paralyzed survivors of spinal cord injuries. In 2022 the Tourney was relaunched to benefit a charity Travis Roy was very involved in during his lifetime -- SCIBoston. SCIboston is excited to carry on Travis’ legacy and host the SCIboston “TR24” Legacy WIFFLEBALL Tournament. To donate to the Travis Roy Legacy Grant Program and learn more about this awesome event, click here!!! |
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| SCIboston's Travis Roy Legacy Grant Program SCIboston is excited to announce the continuation of its quality of life grant program for individuals with a spinal cord injury or disorder and has renamed it The Travis Roy Legacy Grant Program. To read the full press release click here! Our Grant Program assists individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury or Disorder (SCI/D) who demonstrate a financial need. These grants can help assist with obtaining either Durable Medical Equipment or Vehicle Modifications up to $5,000. Examples of Eligible Items: Upgrade and maintenance of wheelchairs, home ramps and lifts, computers, commodes, standing frames, shower chairs/benches, vehicle hand controls, wheelchair locking systems, and more. To learn more about the eligibility requirements, what our grants cover, and to fill out the application click the button below! |
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| Virtual Support Groups Join us for one or more of our virtual support groups that meet your needs as an individual, family member, or significant other affected by a spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D). Our many virtual groups offer opportunities for open discussion, support, and resources. Younger Adult Group Women's Group Newly Injured Spanish Group After Dark Groups *Relaunched* Family Groups SCI/D Discussion Group And Nutrition Group Click the button to access more information and the zoom links! |
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|  | Watch Stacie and Rory tell their story at our 2024 Gala HERE. |
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Spinal Cord Injury Transition Program Stacie Selfridge - TRANSITION PROGRAM LIAISON Stacie oversees SCIboston’s SCI Transition Program, which aims to assist individuals who live in nursing homes to get back to living independently. Stacie brings twenty-plus years of knowledge and experience as an Occupational Therapist to our SCIboston community. We are pleased to announce the SCIboston Spinal Cord Injury Transition Program has had some great successes during it's first two years and we want to continue helping individuals with their independence. Do you know someone with an SCI that is living in a nursing home? We are looking for new candidates who are motivated to move back into the community. Please contact info@sciboston.org for more information or to recommend a candidate. |
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| Resources Page Our resource page was curated by our staff with information provided by our mentors, group leaders, and other members of the SCI community that includes information about: Caregivers
Getting Back to Work
Housing, Sports & Recreation
Complex Rehab Technology
Transportation
and so much more! Click the button below to check them all out! |
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| | | | 180 Medical Scholarships 180 Medical has 2 annual scholarships that reward $1000 annually to 7 individuals living with specific medical conditions, including spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, transverse myelitis, neurogenic bladder, or an ostomy. They also have a second annual scholarship that awards $1000 annually to someone who is the primary unpaid caregiver for a family member or loved one with a chronic disability or medical condition requiring in-home care.
Here are the links to both scholarships:
https://www.180medical.com/scholarships/
https://www.180medical.com/caregiver-scholarship/ |
| | | Boston E-Bikes Incentive Program The goals of Boston’s E-Bikes Incentive Program are to address historic inequities in transportation access, accelerate mode shift to sustainable modes of transportation, and improve mobility options for residents. The City plans to provide approximately 1,000 vouchers ranging from $800 to $2,400 to help reduce the costs of purchasing an e-bike. Each recipient will also receive $150 toward the purchase of bicycle safety equipment. For more information click here |
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 | Empower Pathways : Spring series February through May 2025 The Spring Series is made up of several day events throughout the Northeast including a “Family Dinner” cooking experience, an opportunity to try adaptive sports, a day of art at the Museum of Fine Arts (followed by a trip through Boston to a brewery), an adaptive ski day, and an urban adventure in Manhattan. These programs are open to anyone with a spinal cord injury and are a great way to get a taste of the Empower SCI magic. **Cost of most Pathways Programs is $25 per person to cover administrative fees associated with programming, but please apply if you are interested as scholarships are available. Click here to register | | |
| | | Iceland built 1,756 wheelchair ramps in the past 4 years. Why can’t other countries do that? ‘It’s easy. It’s cheap. There’s no excuse.’ Read the full article here! |
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| | | Did you miss a newsletter? All our past newsletters can be found here: |
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| SCIboston
2 Rehabilitation Way | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801
(617) 952-5643 | info@sciboston.org |
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