On Sunday, October 22, the Get Up Stand Up Foundation held its first annual bowling fundraiser to help youth with limb loss and limb difference meet others like themselves. The event featured bowling at Westside Bowl in Youngstown, Ohio, followed by a live reggae music performance by Umojah Nation. WKBN Youngstown covered the fundraiser in a video segment.
The organization traces its roots to reggae musician Gabriel Mondesir, who became an amputee because of PAD. When faced with needing additional funds for his prosthetic, Gabriel decided to have a music festival to raise the remaining amount and give the rest to charity. During that time, he and his wife, Tanya Braxton Kopp, learned about the Amputee Coalition’s Youth Camp.
Tanya helped form the foundation after her late husband, and the proceeds from this fundraiser went to help cover costs associated with Youth Camp. “There’s a camp we’re partnered up with, the Amputee Coalition Youth Camp, and what we do is we send kids down to their specialized camp,” Tanya told WKBN. “They’re all amputees/youth with limb difference, and it’s a really great place for them to be ‘normal’.”
Learn more about the Amputee Coalition’s Youth Engagement Program and their events, including the annual Youth Camp.