BOSTON — The Travis Roy Foundation announced Friday it plans to wind down operations under its current format to explore new partners that can further its namesake's passion: helping those with disabilities thrive.
Roy, a Yarmouth native, attended North Yarmouth Academy and played hockey before transferring to Tabor Academy in Massachusetts and playing hockey at Boston University. 11 seconds into his first shift on the ice for the Terriers, he crashed into the boards, suffering a life-changing and paralyzing spinal cord injury.
As part of the announcement, the Foundation shared a new fundraising initiative in conjunction with the Boston Red Sox: a chance to play Wiffle Ball at Fenway Park.
The Foundation is holding its 20th annual and final Travis Roy Foundation WIFFLE Ball Tournament on August 13-15 in Essex, Vermont. Two of the 32 teams from the tourney will earn the chance to play WIFFLE Ball at Fenway by surpassing their previous fundraising totals.
The Sox are also opening up to the public the opportunity to earn a spot on the field. Fans can win the chance to play WIFFLE Ball on the field at Fenway by participating in an online auction on the Foundation’s website. Two lucky winners will be able to form their own teams and play on the iconic field. The Travis Roy Foundation has the aspirational goal of raising $1 million this year through the WIFFLE Ball Tournament.
Travis had requested that the Foundation cease operating following his death, which came on October 29, 2020. The trustees will develop new ways to benefit paralyzed survivors of spinal cord injuries as the foundation winds down its active fundraising programs after April 2022.
Travis Roy created the largest spinal cord injury charity program of its kind in the country. His intelligence, warmth, and compassion guided the Foundation into a position of leadership and impact. Over $20 million has been raised for research and for grants to thousands of individuals and their families dealing with the challenges of paralysis after a spinal cord injury. The Travis Roy Foundation has awarded more than $5.6 million in research grants dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord paralysis.
As part of the Foundation’s wind down plan, the trustees are engaged in conversations with other nonprofit partners to establish programs that will continue Travis’s mission for years to come.
Visit www.travisroyfoundation.org for more information.