Dear Jo,

Unite 2 Fight Paralysis is honored to welcome Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, a division of Allina Health, as our Title Sponsor for the 2016 Working 2 Walk Science & Advocacy Symposium. This year's conference will be held October 28 & 29 at the RadissonBlu Mall of America hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute provides a continuum of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and community services. The Institute’s goal is to maximize quality of life for people of all ages and all abilities. They help people achieve health and wellness through providing excellent services, innovative programs, ground-breaking research and barrier-shattering advocacy.

Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 13 hospitals, 15 retail pharmacies, specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, senior transitions, hospice care, home oxygen and medical equipment and emergency medical transportation services.  For more information, visit them at allinahealth.org, and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Healthy Set Go.

U2FP's primary goal with the Working 2 Walk Symposium is to make it accessible and affordable for the spinal cord injury community. We believe that people living with paralysis should have a seat at the table to develop strategies and make decisions that will help to advance recovery. The conference fosters unique and powerful communication and collaboration amongst all stakeholders, and repeatedly receives high marks for value from our attendees. We keep our registration fees low and offer grants to persons with spinal cord injury and their assistants. We rely on the financial help of our supporters to pay conference expenses like catering, audio visual equipment, venue rental, etc. If your organization would like to join the team of supporters for this year's Working 2 Walk Symposium, now is the time. With the conference a little over 7 months away, we are getting increased traffic to our website and social media outlets, as well as inquiries of interest from around the world. Supporters will be included in our event publicity going forward, and by committing early you get maximum exposure. Our Supporter Options web page provides a detailed listing of the available packages; any questions should be directed to marilynsmith@u2fp.org.

After serving as captain of Team SCIS/u2fp for last year's Chicago Marathon, Kathryn takes on the job of coordinating teams for the Marathon and other races. Kathryn was in her senior season as a gymnast at Michigan State University when she sustained a C6 spinal cord injury from a fall during practice. She returned to MSU and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2013. Kathryn is excited to share the mission of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis and facilitate the development of Team U2FP, which encourages runners and wheelchair athletes to support the search for a cure by racing in any event, from 5k’s to marathons. Additionally, she motivates and assists athletes to meet their training and fundraising goals.

Charity guaranteed entries for the October 9 Chicago Marathon will be available beginning March 8. Stay tuned to the U2FP website and Facebook page for the unique Team SCIS/u2fp registration link. U2FP is also fielding a team in the May 14 Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This race offers a 5K, 10K, and 25K option. Receive a discount on the registration fee when you sign up with Team U2FP for this event. There is also a highly competitive Handcycle division and Wheelchair Racing division for the 25K distance. Register with Team U2FP.  More Information. Questions should be directed to teamu2fp@u2fp.org.

Funding Announcement for Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Psychosocial Research Grant. Our friends at The Neilsen Foundation have just posted this new funding opportunity, with Letters of Intent due by March 25. Follow this link for more information about funding categories, deadlines, and announcements.

2016 is off to a great start for Unite 2 Fight Paralysis. Our team is working hard to unite the community toward our goal of restoring health and independence to people living with paralysis. We look forward to connecting and strategizing with many of you this year.

Marilyn

Our Angel & Visionary Sponsors