High Fives Foundation awards Empowerment Grant to provide Truckee local Jeff Andrews with vital massage sessions to aid in flexibility and mobility
The High Fives Foundation is awarding 25-year-old Jeff Andrews an Empowerment Grant to help aid in his recovery from a life-altering injury. Andrews was snowboarding at Sugarbowl Resort in Norden, Calif. on March 15, 2014 when he overshot a jump and crashed, causing a C6 burst fracture with associated spinal cord injury and transverse process fractures at L1,L2, L3, resulting in quadriplegia at the C5-C7 level.
Thanks to continued support from the High Fives Foundation, Andrews and his trainer Jack Powell are in the CR Johnson Healing Center in Truckee, Calif. for four hours a day, six days a week. He has experienced amazing results and gains from his dedication to his recovery process and all of the treatments and offerings at the Healing Center.
This October Empowerment Grant from the High Fives Foundation will go towards sessions of personal massage from renowned local massage therapist Karen Stubbs to help Andrews increase his blood flow and mobility.
“After three hours of physical training and fitness at the Healing Center, it is critical to mix in massage so that my body can recover appropriately,” said Andrews. “Karen is the best in the business, and her bodywork allows me to work so hard in the gym.”
“Jeff’s commitment to his recovery is exactly what it takes,” said Roy Tuscany, High Fives Foundation Executive Director. “He is in the Healing Center every single day, all day. He’s come a long ways since his initial injury, and with this work ethic, he can expect to keep improving his fitness, mobility and sensation.”
Since the High Fives Foundation’s January 2009 inception, the Empowerment program service has assisted 91 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. The Foundation has exceeded this goal and has disbursed $339,209 in grant funding towards the recovery goals of athletes with life-altering injuries.
In the month of October the High Fives Foundation disbursed $6,582 in board-approved grants.
