U2FP’s board and staff, pictured above. Front row from left: Traci Fernandez, Kathy Christopherson, Jake Beckstrom, Barry Munro, Jason Stoffer, Quinn Brett. Back row from left: Lucia Webb, Ryan Romine, Matthew Rodreick, Sam Maddox, Christel Mitrovich, Jim Hamer, Johnnie Edwards. (Not pictured: Mike Burris, Sasha Rabchevsky, Jordan Bolton, Julie Censullo).

Like so many people here in the U.S., U2FP is pausing this week to take stock of all we are grateful for.

Over and over, the word ‘community’ comes to mind for me. The concept of community is central for us here at U2FP. We use it frequently when talking about those who make up the ranks of spinal cord injured individuals, along with their families and loved ones who help them navigate life after SCI. This is intentional. Without a sense of community - without the notion that we sincerely care for one another - the important work U2FP is doing would be unsustainable. You can’t fake community. And I believe it is key to our growing influence.

If you’re reading this message, you are a part of this growing U2FP community. 

I want to sincerely thank you for donating your time, attention and resources to U2FP; for supporting this movement for cures in all kinds of creative ways; for listening to each other more deeply; for engaging in our innovative initiatives and helping to make them more effective. 

Thank you for joining this community and doing this difficult but deeply satisfying work.

We are thankful for all of you who are working alongside us to bring about cures for paralysis.