 |
|
A NOTE FROM LIFE ROLLS ON'S CEO
|
|
While it has been a while since our last edition of Rolling, lots has been going on at the LRO offices! For starters, all documents are signed and sealed, so Life Rolls On is “officially” merged with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. LRO now proudly serves as a division of the Reeve Foundation and its West Coast headquarters.
Life Rolls On Founder Jesse Billauer has also transitioned into a new role, as our Director of National Outreach. Jesse will serve as a spokesperson for LRO and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, while fostering development and marketing opportunities to further our work.
We also added new additions to our team, Denise Martin and Yeabsira Mehari, who will serve as LRO’s Program Director and Project Manager, respectively. We hope you’ll join us at our first They Will Surf Again to meet them!
As we introduce Denise and Yeabsira, however, we’d be remiss to not take this opportunity to thank the tireless efforts of our previous Program Director Meghan Schinderle. We extend best wishes to “Magical Meghan” on her new business and extend our sincere thanks for all she has done to support LRO.
With a Jason Mraz concert, They Will Ski Again, and inaugural They Will Skate Again already completed for the year, LRO has been hard at work making sure we continue to grow our efforts to improve the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury. We look forward to a fantastic year and thank you for supporting LRO on this exciting journey.
|
|
| THEY WILL SURF AGAIN KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND! |
|
 Life Rolls On is ready to hit coasts across the country for another fantastic They Will Surf Again season! On Sunday, April 25, They Will Surf Again (TWSA) will make its 2010 debut at Huntington Beach’s 6th Street where participants will enjoy a day of sun, surf and smiles.
To celebrate the start of the season, LRO’s Active Young Professionals will also host a TWSA Kick-Off Party at Sol Grill in Newport Beach. This will be an opportunity for volunteers to meet each other before the event. AYP also has arranged a phenomenal opportunity drawing for guests, as prizes include donations from Tommy Bahama, Kitson, and The Massage Place, to name a few! Check out the event flyer for more details.
To see if Life Rolls On's 2010 TWSA tour is coming to a city near you, visit Life Rolls On's website.
|
LIGHTS, CAMERA, (CALL TO) ACTION!
|
|
 As summer blockbuster trailers are already buzzing in movie theatres, everyone loves a story that ends with “happily ever after.” Now, you can produce a fairytale ending for surfers with spinal cord injury.
We are asking each of our readers to donate the price of a single movie ticket, $12.50, to help LRO “roll” towards our goal of raising $5,000 for two new beach wheelchairs.
Without the assistance of beach wheelchairs, surfers and volunteers are put in harm’s way because athletes would need to be carried from their wheelchairs to the water. This safety equipment is vital to our program and while some cities offer beach wheelchairs, often, the equipment is damaged (posing a danger to our participants), while others do not have any beach wheelchairs at all.
Please don’t delay! Visit Life Rolls On's website to give now and check our progress in reaching our goal. This will surely be a project critics would give “two thumbs up!”
|
|
PARTING SHOTS
|
|
 Life Rolls On is pleased to congratulate our LRO surfers who recently became pageant royalty! Jennifer Kumiyama was recently crowned Ms. Wheelchair California at the Abilities Expo in Los Angeles, while a month earlier, Shannon Horne was named Ms. Wheelchair Florida. 
Jennifer and Shannon have been active participants in Life Rolls On’s They Will Surf Again program and will proudly compete for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America later this year.
As they begin their reigns, we also congratulate Erika Bogan and Alyson Roth, two more remarkable women who have been donning sashes and tiaras for the past year.
Erika, the current Ms. Wheelchair America, is an active participant in LRO’s East Coast They Will Surf Again events, while Alyson, who just completed her reign as Ms. Wheelchair California has been a tremendous advocate for LRO on the West Coast.
Ladies, congratulations and continued success from your Life Rolls On family!
|
|
|
UPCOMING LIFE ROLLS ON EVENTS
|
|
APRIL
April 21-23: Floating: The Nathan Gocke Story
April 25: AYP TWSA Kick Off Event, Newport Beach, CA
April 25: TWSA, Huntington Beach, CA
April 29: Jesse's Story, Newport Beach Film Festival
MAY
May 15: Great Cape May Footrace benefiting LRO, Cape May, NJ
May 16: TWSA, Manhattan Beach, CA
May 22: TWSA, Jacksonville, FL
|
|
|
|
|
I Am LRO:
Mitch Longley
You might recognize him from his roles on Las Vegas or more recently getting into a fight with Eva Longoria Parker’s character on Desperate Housewives, but what you may not know is actor Mitch Longley is a dear friend and supporter of Life Rolls On. A true minimalist, Mitch probably won’t even read this article since he doesn’t own a computer or a cell phone! With his contagious smile, kind heart and charming personality, we could not be more pleased to introduce actor, singer, photographer and philanthropist Mitch Longley to our Rolling readers.
|
|
|
|
Volunteer Spotlight:
Maya Hatch
What does a PhD student, wife and mother do in her spare time? Volunteer for Life Rolls On of course! Irvine, CA resident Maya Hatch seamlessly manages a busy schedule, which includes being an amazing wife to John McQuirk and loving mom to three-year-old Jake. While working towards a PhD in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) research, Maya plays an integral role in measuring the success of LRO's They Will Surf Again (TWSA) program by analyzing its impact on the SCI community.
|
|
|
|
