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It is always an emotional boost for me to see how much comfort our foundation has brought to people that have become newly injured with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Just imagine yourself being away on a California vacation with your wife and two children and then the most unexpected catastrophe happens as you find yourself floating facedown because you just broke your neck in the ocean. You don’t know which hospital is the best for treating a SCI so, you are at the mercy of the first responders. Just when you find yourself with nowhere to turn, you get a phone call from The Miami Project (MP) to Cure Paralysis (the #1 spinal research center in the country). The reason that the MP has called you is because one of your friends was at the BRUCE in the USA concert that was put on by our Ricky Palermo Foundation. This friend got in touch with me and I in turn got in touch with the MP, and this family was able to have a plan that has many of the answers you were hoping for. This is the second time that this situation has come up this year. Last winter, a cousin of a close friend who lives in Minnesota suffered a SCI while snowmobiling. This family called their cousin that is a big supporter of our events and he was able to contact me and then I was able to put them in touch with the MP. Then the MP guided them to the nearest SCI rehab. I wish my family had a place like the MP to call when I was first injured in 1981, but the MP did not exist until 1985.

This year our events consisted of our annual soccer clinic, which brought in about 80 kids to learn skills from BHS girls varsity soccer coach Roger Hume. In early June, we hosted our largest event yet, as we had 1400 people attend a BRUCE in the USA concert at Batavia Downs And Gaming (a tribute band to Bruce Springsteen). This concert has really helped our main goal of spreading awareness of Spinal Cord Injuries, and then in early August, we hosted our 26 the annual Ricky Palermo Spinal Injury Golf Tournament. We are proud to say that these three events helped us donate more than $84,000 to our same four beneficiaries: UMMC’s Rochester Regional Health, Strong Memorial Hospital, Batavia’s GLOW YMCA (SCI) Bike Program and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. This brings our 26 year grand total to $1.8 million donated!

It was once again a thrill for me to bring our donation to NYC for the MPs 37th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner hosted by The Buoniconti Fund. This year’s dinner was held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Everyone in attendance (nearly 1000) was treated to a delicious dinner, a Beatles tribute band, several speeches by sports celebrities and an incredible update given by The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis’s CEO Dr. Barth Green, and leading SCI research scientist Dr. Dalton Dietrich.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT ME!!

Your friend, Ricky Palermo
www.RickyPalermofoundation.org
Follow us on Facebook – the Ricky Palermo Spinal Injury Tournament And Fundraiser to Cure Paralysis.
A Healthy, Happy Merry Christmas to everyone!!!