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High Fives gala raises over $100K for athletes with major injuries

Special to the Sun

Golf tourney raises more than $17,5000

The High Fives Foundation hosted its sixth Annual Charity Golf Tournament in Truckee on May 12. Approximately $17,500 was raised to support the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of traumatically injured mountain action sports athletes.

“The 2016 High Fives Foundation Golf Tournament at Gray’s Crossing was a huge success this year. After a couple years of rough weather, this year was perfect,” says Jamie Harper, Head Golf Pro at Gray’s Crossing. “The golf course was in spectacular condition and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped put it together. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Tournament results are as follows:

1st Place: Team Fuller Belly Deli (Roy Tuscany, Steve Wallace, Jason Waters, Dylan Griffin)

2nd Place: Team Sparty Nation (Charlie Miller, Frank Wells, Chris Schuster)

3rd Place: Team Belfor (Paul Gardener, Bob Leighton, Chris Nelson, Chaz Horsey)

Learn more: highfivesfoundation.org

TRUCKEE, Calif. — On April 29, the High Fives Foundation hosted a formal gathering at Dolan Lexus in Reno that brought together distinguished guests from the Reno/Tahoe communities and beyond.

The event of nearly 250 attendees celebrated the accomplishments of Tahoe’s High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit that gives grant funding to athletes in mountain communities with brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Dinner was catered by local chef Mark Estee in the show room at Dolan Lexus located on South Virginia Street. Community health leaders Renown Health and Spine Nevada were platinum sponsors for the fundraising gala.



Over the course of the night, the High Fives Foundation premiered two films about High Fives Athletes. The first film was about Tony Schmiesing who is the only quadriplegic athlete to heli ski in Alaska and ride the 22-foot X Games Super Pipe.

The second film was about Jason Abraham, a Tahoe skier and photographer who suffered a spinal cord injury at Squaw Valley in April 2015.



The High Fives organization also uses the gala format to announce their annual Community Five Award. This award goes to five individuals recognizing their achievements as positive leaders within our community.

The Year’s Recipients:

Tyler Lightcap

Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows

The Abraham Family

Alec Tuscany

Jesse Murphy

“Every person there can feel the power in the room,” said High Fives Foundation Executive Director Roy Tuscany. “It’s the power of positivity. It’s the power of motivation and determination. It’s people helping other people, and making a huge difference.”

Tuscany, 34, started the Foundation in 2009 after the support he received from the community for his own recovery from a spinal cord injury. He’s replicated that kind of support for 105 athletes in the history of the organization.

That day, April 29, marks the 10-year anniversary of Tuscany’s spinal cord injury that catalyzed the founding of the Foundation.

The event raised over $100,000 for the High Fives Foundation, supporting their mission to give grant funding to athletes in recovery from life-altering injuries.

This article was provided by the High Fives Non-Profit Foundation. Since 2009, the Foundation has helped 105 athletes from 23 states. Visit highfivesfoundation.org to learn more.


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