Matt Leonard, Jeff Andrews & Jason Giovannoni receive a total of $9,973 in Empowerment Grant funding
A $4,235 Empowerment Grant will provide Bay Area resident Matt Leonard with personal training and specialized equipment to aid in his recovery
After multiple surgeries in Reno, Matt transfered to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo. for intensive inpatient rehabilitation. Now, with this May Empowerment Grant from the High Fives Foundation, Leonard is continuing his rehabilitation at the PEAK Center, an adaptive health and wellness center in association with Craig Hospital. In addition to having access to the most advanced technology for athletes with neurologic disabilities, Leonard will work with a personal trainer weekly
The May Empowerment Grant also purchased Leonard a multichair that will allow for easy maneuvering, adapted for every day life from a wheelchair
Upon completion of this training, Leonard will return to San Francisco to continue his job and reconnect with friends.
Roy Tuscany, Executive Director of the High Fives Foundation, said, “Matt has an amazing spirit and support system. He will put this injury behind him with grace and accomplish anything he puts his mind to.”
$2,505 Empowerment Grant will provide Andrews with massage therapy, acupuncture and adaptive equipment to aid in his recovery
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 May Empowerment Grant will provide Andrews with sessions of massage therapy and acupuncture. It will also give Andrews general purpose gripping aids allowing him to manually push his wheelchair more efficiently.
“It is impressive to see his hard work,” said Roy Tuscany, High Fives Foundation Executive Director. “The team of Jack and Jeff is incredible. They are both working together to get Jeff stronger and stronger.
$3,233 Empowerment Grant will provide Jason Giovannoni with massage, acupuncture, personal training and Neuro Kinetic Pilates at the CR Johnson Healing Center
The High Fives Foundation is awarding 38-year-old Jason Giovannoni a
Since the injury, Giovannoni has focused intensely on his recovery. He has been working with healers at the CR Johnson Healing Center in Truckee, Calif. since February 2015 and seeing great results. This grant will augment the amount of therapy he is receiving by providing him with massage, acupuncture, personal training and Neuro Kinetic Pilates.
“High Fives can help me reach my goal by assisting with out of pocket expenses for these therapies,” said Giovannoni. “My recovery goal is to ultimately walk again. I want to be physically active with my children the way I was prior to my accident.”
“Jason had a very bad injury and has always kept a smile on his face throughout his recovery,” said Roy Tuscany, High Fives Foundation Executive Director.
Since the High Fives Foundation’s January 2009 inception, the Empowerment program service has assisted 82 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 2015, 21 High Fives Athletes and two organizations have been awarded 29 board-approved grants totaling $181,199.
In the month of May the High Fives Foundation disbursed $34,406 in board-approved grants.
April Empowerment Athletes:
Kailyn Forsberg from Eagle, Colo.
Lindsay Runkel from Westport, Conn.
Bond Camp from Breckinridge, Colo.
Danielle Shannon from North Conway, N.H.
Matt Leonard from San Francisco, Calif.
Gates Hunsaker from Bountiful, Utah.
Jeff Andrews from Truckee, Calif.
Jason Giovannoni from Reno, Nev.
