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| LRO Top Stories |
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 They Will Ski Again...a Success!
On February 7, Life Rolls On Foundation traded surfboards for monoskis as the organization hosted its first They Will Ski Again event in Mammoth Lakes, CA. With varying degrees of mobility, individuals with spinal cord injury were treated to an exciting day on the slopes with expert instruction provided by Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra.
From areas as far as Texas, LRO participants weathered the snowy roads for excellent conditions on the mountain. “You have no idea what this means to us,” said Nicole Richards, wife of participant Brett Richards. “This is the first time Brett has been on the slopes since his injury and he’s doing amazing. Before his accident, he used to snowboard all the time. Now, he knows he can do it again.”
Expenses for this trip were underwritten during LRO’s “Night By The Ocean presented by Disaboom” gala fundraiser in October, where nine-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater graciously raised his hand during the organization’s donation appeal to sponsor this program. Through this generous gift, and through the support of Mammoth Mountain and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, Life Rolls On was able to launch this ski program at no-cost to participants.
> TWSkiA video
> Testimonial from participants Joe & Rosanna DeVere
> Photo Gallery
 10 TWSA Days on Calendar for '09!
Summer is nearly here, so They Will Surf Again enthusiasts can rejoice knowing LRO’s first adaptive surfing event is just around the corner – May 3 at Bolsa Chica State Beach! From California to New Jersey and down the coast to Florida, LRO has even added a couple more stops for 2009: Cape May, NJ and Santa Cruz, CA. (See the full schedule on the right)
Volunteers are needed for on-site support in the water, on land, as well as administrative and production duties. In addition, rehabilitation and medical professionals are urged to let patients with spinal cord injury know about this exciting program that is no-cost to participants and enables them to enjoy the exhilaration of surfing through use of adaptive equipment and able-bodied volunteers. For volunteers unable to participate on the day of surfing, LRO can always use a helping hand prior to and following each TWSA to prepare for and reconcile the event.
Join Life Rolls On for an amazing day of (hopefully) sunny skies, awesome waves and a supportive community coming together to improve the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury.
> Participate or volunteer in an upcoming TWSA
 New Program Director!
On March 9, Life Rolls On welcomed Meghan Schinderle as the organization’s Program Director. After receiving hundreds of resumes, Schinderle’s skills and experience, coupled with her effervescent personality, made her a perfect fit for this important role. To learn more about Meghan, check out LRO’s official media alert and read her letter for LRO readers. Come meet Meghan at the LRO’s AYP mixer on March 25 in San Diego or at LRO’s first They Will Surf Again of 2009, on May 3 in Huntington Beach.
 Malibu Golf Tournament Cancelled, But...New Jersey Golf is On!
In light of the current economic climate, Life Rolls On Foundation will cancel our annual Golf Tournament in Malibu, CA. LRO extends its sincere thanks to all who have helped make the event a success and looks forward to reinstating the tournament in July 2010. Until then, the organization urges all sponsors, donors and participants to continue supporting this important cause through Life Rolls On’s black-tie gala fundraiser, Night By The Ocean, scheduled for October 4 in Hollywood, CA.
Golf enthusiasts on the East Coast are encouraged to participate in LRO’s 4th Annual East Coast Golf Tournament on September 26 in Cape May, NJ for a spectacular day on the course, followed by an after-party that evening. LRO Founder Jesse Billauer will be in attendance and will also participate in They Will Surf Again – Cape May, which takes place the following day, September 27.
> Register for LRO East Coast Golf Tournament
> Video from 2008 Night By The Ocean
 LRO Injury Outreach
When surfer, and FUEL TV employee, Nathan Gocke suffered a spinal cord injury, Life Rolls On was there to reach out in support. Nathan later spoke at Life Rolls On's Night By The Ocean gala in October 2008. LRO Founder Jesse Billauer and actor Dominic Purcell visited Nathan at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation.
> Watch the video on YouTube
| LRO Awareness & Fundraising Events |
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 CURE SCI & TeamLRO
CURE SCI (Campuses Understanding Responsible Education about Spinal Cord Injury) members have been busy raising funding and awareness for Life Rolls On, through TeamLRO.
On February 1, CURE SCI chapter leader Marisa Hernandez named Life Rolls On as the beneficiary of her efforts to complete the Surf City USA Half-Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. Marisa, along with her friend, Jameson Bass, exceeded her fundraising goal and completed the race with a time of 2:17. “A large part of what kept me going was my friends and family who helped support me and my fundraising efforts,” said the University of San Diego student. “Wearing my LRO gear almost every time I run, I am reminded of the people in my life who have taught me that despite any hardships one goes through, life, indeed, rolls on.”
Similar to Marisa, members of CURE SCI – Huntington Beach High School, will get moving for TeamLRO. A group of CURE SCI-HBHS members, led by Jake Zylstra, will cycle April 6 - 10 in “1 Gear – 1 Cause” - a Santa Barbara to Huntington Beach bike tour they created specifically to raise funds for LRO. “We’ve been riding for about four years,” said Zylstra. “We really believe in LRO so thought this would be a great way to contribute to a great cause.”
> To support Jake and the members of this effort, visit their TeamLRO Page
> LRO has powerful tools which make it fun and easy to raise funds online with your own customized webpage. You too can get started today.
 AYP Hosts First Quarter Mixer & Launches LA/OC Chapter
Under the leadership of AYP President Casey West and a phenomenal Board of Directors, LRO’s Active Young Professionals (AYP) continues to thrive. Its first quarter professionals mixer will take place on March 25 at Bare Back Grill – Pacific Beach (San Diego, CA) at 6:30 PM. It is an opportunity to build professional and personal networks, while supporting the mission of Life Rolls On, as a portion of proceeds from the evening’s food and beverage sales and a special opportunity drawing will benefit the cause.
As a result of AYP’s popularity in San Diego, an AYP chapter, under the leadership of Ken Whelan, will also be launched for young professionals in Los Angeles and Orange County. AYP members span from diverse industries including medicine, finance, law, sales, marketing, legislative affairs, arts, entertainment and many more, so adults 21-40 looking to build their networks, while engaging in professional development opportunities and raising awareness and funding for a worthy cause are encouraged to participate.
> For more information, visit www.activeyoungpros.com
> AYP will also be in charge of the Life Rolls On booth at the Switchfoot Bro-Am, on June 27, in Encinitas, CA.
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| LRO Community News |
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 Youngest LRO Ambassador to be Profiled on Today Show
On Wednesday, March 25, Patrick Ivison will be featured on NBC’s Today Show. Appearing live with his mother, Jennifer Kayler, Ivison was interviewed earlier by Today correspondent and Sunday Today co-anchor Jenna Wolfe. Life Rolls On volunteers, including Robbie Nelson, Dave King and Devyn Bisson, served as the 14-year-old’s water team as he caught some waves They Will Surf Again-style for the segment.
At eight-years-old, Ivison was introduced to surfing through LRO founder Jesse Billauer after being inspired by him in “Step Into Liquid.” Since then, Patrick, now a member of the Scripps Ranch High School Surf Team, is a regular participant in Life Rolls On’s They Will Surf Again program, including the Disaboom They Will Surf Again Expression Session at the US Open of Surfing. Photo courtesy Dave King.
> Learn more about Patrick
 LRO Ambassador Records Racing Hat Trick in Rookie Year
20-year-old Ricky James completed his first season in the West Coast Pro Truck Series by accomplishing a “hat trick” - winning the Rookie of the Year Award, the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale Championship and the overall West Coast Pro Truck Championship for 2008. Putting his truck on pole in 10 of 12 races, the Murrieta, California native recorded three wins, nine top three finishes and two track records in qualifying at Blythe and Lake Havasu, respectively.
“I can’t think of a better way to top-off all the amazing opportunities and experiences,” said James. “With everything I’ve achieved since my accident, racing cars is my biggest passion and I hope to make a career out of it.”
 In addition to his racing accomplishments, 2008 also included a silver medal at X Games 14 and clinching the Hand-Cycle Class World Championship at the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida with a time of 5:30, which came only one month after his first-ever attempt and finish (12:44:42) of the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Ricky will be featured in NBC’s coverage of the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship on April 12th at 1:30 PM (PST).
Ricky will advance his racing career by competing this year in the NASCAR Whelen Late-Model Series at Irwindale Speedway. Currently developing a new style of hand control, James has his eye on a full 2010 racing season in the Late Model division.
In January, in recognition of all of his achievements, James was awarded the 2008 Kaiser-Permanente Thrive Award as the Challenged Athlete of the Year at the Competitor Endurance Sports Awards.
> Learn more about Ricky
> Watch LRO's PSA featuring Ricky
 LRO Volunteer Profiled in American Girl magazine
American Girl is a doll company familiar to most households with a young girl. With a mission to create girls of strong character, American Girl utilizes its magazine to share positive stories and messages to encourage wholesome values and fun. Life Rolls On volunteer Samantha Ivison, sister of LRO Ambassador Patrick Ivison, was profiled in the February 2009 issue celebrating “Sisters with Heart.”
Most people know “Sam,” as Patrick’s biggest supporter. Whether it is helping Patrick zip up his wetsuit at They Will Surf Again or helping her mom, Jennifer, run one of the contest holes at LRO’s golf tournament, this extraordinary 11-year-old is always willing to lend a hand in support of her big brother.
“American Girl couldn’t have chosen a better sister to be profiled for this article,” said Kris Nakamura, Executive Director and CEO for Life Rolls On. “Sam is one of our best volunteers and is quite a role model for young girls. She’s smart, talented and has an amazing heart.”
When asked if volunteering for LRO events has influenced her relationship with Patrick, Samantha said, “It has definitely brought us closer because we get to participate in something we love!” She added, “Volunteering for LRO means helping other people know that life using a chair can still be fun and if people who are injured can be happy, then their family will feel better too.”
> Read the full article about this remarkable young lady
| Spinal Cord Injury Community News |
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 FDA Approves First Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Clinical Trial
As LRO reported in its end-of-year 2008 eNewsletter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) was reviewing an application for a clinical trial proposed by Geron Corporation, a Menlo Park, California biotech company, based on an approach utilizing stem cells to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) invented by the laboratory of LRO partner and featured guest speaker Dr. Hans Keirstead of the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California at Irvine. On January 23, the FDA approved this application for stem cell experiments on humans – a landmark decision that may change the future for those with spinal cord injury.
> Read More
 Stem Cells Defined
Due to recent national events involving stem cells, and our article above, LRO is pleased to break down the science for you.
> Read More
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| Just A Little More... |
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 13 Years Later
March 25, 1996 was a day that will never be forgotten for Jesse Billauer, founder of Life Rolls On. Thirteen years later, Life Rolls On Foundation exists as a result of what happened on that fateful day. Many lives have been changed for the better as a result of the work of Life Rolls On, so we stop to acknowledge this 'anniversary'. Jesse, in the spirit of all that you do, thank you for being an inspiration to so many.
> More About How Jesse Inspires Others
 Be on the Go with LRO
In addition to profiles Twitter, MySpace and Facebook, Life Rolls On Foundation is pleased to announce that iPhone/iTouch users (and soon smart phone users) will be able to stay in touch with a new application called match2blue.
> Get the match2blue application
> Read more about how match2blue integrates Life Rolls On
Contributors
Life Rolls On is pleased to add Vanessa Bonifacio as a regular contributor to its eNewsletter. Vanessa has regularly penned articles for the organization, including many of the medical and research updates. LRO is also grateful for the contributions of Garrett Hamblin, Jeremy McGhee, Andrew Jandt and La Dawna Wert for providing material for the spotlight pieces.
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Ambassador Spotlight
Despite a T-10 spinal cord injury as a result of a motorcycle accident nearly eight years ago, Jeremy McGhee continues living life to its fullest. An Ambassador for Life Rolls On, McGhee has served as a role model and mentor for newly-injured individuals and recently helped organize LRO’s first They Will Ski Again (TWSkiA).
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Sponsor Spotlight
The Huntington Beach Elks Lodge, under the leadership of Garrett Hamblin, have been instrumental partners in the success of Life Rolls On’s Southern California They Will Surf Again events. In addition to designating LRO as the beneficiary of its annual fundraiser, they have also adopted LRO’s CURE SCI–Huntington Beach High School chapter and empowered these young people to make a difference in their community.
> Read More About
HB Elks
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Volunteer Spotlight
Under the creative direction of IOBON Cinema co-founders Andrew Jandt and La Dawna Wert, LRO is able to showcase its programs and events in professional video formats. Their amazing videos not only serve as a fun way for participants to watch their experiences, but also are integral tools for Life Rolls On to raise awareness about its cause and demonstrate the effectiveness of the program to sponsors.
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View LRO's PSA
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LRO Schedule
March 25: AYP Mixer San Diego, CA
May 3: TWSA Bolsa Chica, CA
May 16: TWSA Jacksonville Beach, FL
June 27: LRO @ Switchfoot Bro-Am Encinitas, CA
June 28: TWSA Long Branch, NJ
July 18: TWSA Zuma Beach, CA
July 25: TWSA Cocoa Beach, FL
July 23-26: LRO @ U.S. Open of Surfing Huntington Beach, CA
August 1: TWSA Virginia Beach, VA
August 8: TWSA Wrightsville Beach, NC
Sept 13: TWSA La Jolla Shores, CA
Sept 26: NJ Golf Tournament Cape May, NJ
Sept 27: TWSA Cape May, NJ
October 4: Night By The Ocean Hollywood, CA
October 10: TWSA Santa Cruz, CA
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Umbrella Sponsor
TWSA Partners
Special Thanks
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