COLORADO ATHLETE RECEIVES $4,763.88 | EMPOWERMENT GRANT FUNDING

Glenwood Springs resident Tim Burr to receive $4,763 Empowerment Grant from High Fives Foundation to provide Burr with support to help with his recovery from a life-altering injury that occurred skiing at Crested Butte

#HighFivesAthlete Tim Burr

The High Fives Foundation Empowerment Program service disburses board-approved grants to mountain action sports athletes who are recovering from life-altering injuries. In July, the Foundation’s Board of Directors Grant Selection Committee approved a grant for Glenwood Springs-based Empowerment Athlete Tim Burr totaling $4,763.

In November 2014, 19-year-old Burr was skiing the Crested Butte backcountry with a friend. There was a small drop that that Burr scouted and hit. He landed a with his weight forward and crashed. Burr’s friend acted quickly to get Tim’s face out of the snow so he didn’t suffocate, and then called for rescue. Once he was transported by helicopter to Craig Hospital, Burr received the news that he was paralyzed from the shoulders down. He has been going intensive rehabilitation since.

“Tim and the Burr Family are adjusting to life changes with positive attitudes,” said Roy Tuscany, Executive Director of the High Fives Foundation.

The July 2015 grant for $4,763 awarded to Burr will be used toward sessions of massage and stretching therapies intended to bring blood flow and mobility to the areas of the body affect by the injury. The grant will also provide various specialized equipment to facilitate daily routines adapted people recovering from life-altering injuries.

Since the organization’s January 2009 inception, the Empowerment program service has assisted 89 athletes from 20 states in nine respective funding categories which include: living expenses, insurance, travel, health, healing network, adaptive equipment, winter equipment, programs and stoke (positive energy, outlook and attitude). In 2015, the High Fives Foundation set a budget of disbursing $266,000 via board-approved grants through the Empowerment Fund. Since January, the Foundation has disbursed $203,626 to 29 athletes and two organizations.

In the month of July, the High Fives Foundation disbursed $17,509 in Empowerment Grants to the following High Fives Athletes:

David Hewel from Reno, NV.
Tim Burr from Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Michele Edwards from Roseville, Calif.
Jordan Griffin from Lakewood, WA.
Matt Leonard from San Francisco, Calif.
Frank Lin from Anaheim, Calif.
Shawn Maloney from Oakland, Calif.

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About the High Fives Non-Profit Foundation: High Fives Foundation is a Tahoe-based, national 501.c.3 non-profit organization The High Fives Foundation supports the dreams of mountain action sports athletes by raising injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life-altering injuries. Formed as a way to “pay-it-forward” by the founder from his own recovery to help injured athletes, the Foundation has helped 89 athletes to date since its inception in 2009, more information visit www.highfivesfoundation.org.

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