High Fives to the Holidays

December 6, 2013 by trudilee

By Tim Hauserman

It’s that wonderful time of year again. Tahoe folks are getting all giddy with excitement because we know that soon the big snows will arrive, delivering us blissful days of skiing. The spirit of the holidays is also here, touching us with the desire to give back to our wonderful community of winter lovers. One charity that combines our love of Tahoe and our desire to improve the lives of others, is the Truckee based High Fives Foundation.

The High Fives Foundation has a simple purpose: Give athletes who have suffered a life altering injury the chance to return to the sport they love. Many of these athletes are skiers or snowboarders, who just want the opportunity to once again feel the thrill of the wind and the snow on their faces as they fly down the hill.

High Fives was started by Roy Tuscony, who suffered a spinal cord injury while skiing at Mammoth in 2006. Two years later, after a lot of hard work and the help of many people, who he said gave him “high fives all around,” Tuscony loaded a lift at Sugar Bowl for the first time since the injury. He says, “The encouragement and positivity I received during my recovery inspired me to start a foundation to help others with similar experiences.”

Currently High Fives is helping over 50 athletes. They do so with direct financial assistance with their medical bills through the Empowerment Fund. They provide a variety of treatments to the injured athletes at the CJ Johnson Healing Center in Truckee. And finally, the Fund is reaching out to the community with it’s BASICS program (Building Safety and Awareness in Crazy Situations), which offers training on how to stay safe while enjoying our mountain winter wonderland.

How can you help?

You can make a direct donation to www.highfivesfoundation.org, or you can join the party, because High Fives puts on a series of great fundraising events throughout the year. Events include the Squaw Valley Prom, Golf and Bocce Tournaments…and of course several different ski contests and races. Just go to their website and Facebook page to check out upcoming events. You will find out how you can have a good time, while helping High Fives athletes get back to where they belong: Sliding over snow with a smile as deep as the snow.