THINK FIRST Foundation - Park Ridge, Illinois
Thousands of Young Lives Saved
Laurie, at age 17, thought only "geeks" wore seat belts. Then she attended a presentation at her high school made by Lisa, a young woman who in an accident had been thrown around a car, causing her to permanently lose all feeling from the chest down. Laurie was so moved by Lisa that she decided it was in her best interest to buckle up. One week later Laurie was in a serious car accident that surely would have claimed her life had she not been wearing a seat belt.
Every year in the United States, more than 500,000 people sustain traumatic head or spinal cord injuries that forever alter their lives. The overwhelming majority of such injuries are incurred by persons under the age of 24. Tragically, most of these traumatic injuries could have been prevented.
Thanks to the educational programs of the Chicago-based THINK FIRST Foundation, which was jointly founded by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, over two million high school students throughout the country now know how to prevent such crippling and often fatal injuries. THINK FIRST brings its safety and prevention message to young people primarily through peer-to-peer presentations made by young people, like Lisa, who have actually sustained debilitating injuries.
What Made It Happen?
Skystone Ryan is proud to have helped "start up" THINK FIRST. When the firm was first retained, the organization (then called the National Head and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program) was funded by the two neurosurgical groups. Skystone Ryan endorsed the name change to THINK FIRST and helped the organization at every step to establish itself as an independent organization. The firm guided the development and expansion of its Board to include prominent business leaders and neurosurgeons. Skystone Ryan also conducted a campaign planning study and subsequently helped initiate a ten-year $10 million capital and endowment campaign. Additionally, the firm provided interim management of the development office and helped the organization find its first executive director.
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