Overview
Blusson Spinal Cord Centre
On Tuesday, November 18, 2008 something magical happened in Vancouver. The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre opened marking the realization of Rick Hansen’s dream to have a centre solely dedicated to advancing world-leading, integrated research and care for people with spinal cord injury.
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Imagine a future where people who are newly injured walk away from SCI while those living with disabilities lead healthy, active and productive lives.
- Rick Hansen
- Rick Hansen
To understand the work of the Rick Hansen Foundation, it’s important to understand why and how it was established.
On June 27, 1973, at the age of 15, Rick Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in a car crash. Paralyzed from the waist down, he slowly came to terms with his new life and set new goals. His determination and tenacity helped him achieve many of those goals, including winning 19 international wheelchair marathons and six medals as a Paralympian.
During this time, Rick had to overcome numerous barriers that made life so difficult for people with disabilities who wanted to realize their potential. He believed that this wasn’t right, society had to change. He decided the first step would be to raise awareness. . On March 21, 1985, Rick left Vancouver and wheeled around the world on his Man In Motion World Tour. He inspired a nation, raised awareness and received over $26 million in donations for the cause. Following the Tour, the Foundation was born.
Over the years, the Foundation has maintained its focus: find a cure for SCI and improve the quality of life for those with SCI and related disabilities. Years ago, Rick realized there were leaders and experts already working in this field across Canada but often in complete isolation and with inadequate support. From that day to this, a cornerstone of the Foundation’s work has been to create opportunities for collaboration, engage people with disabilities in setting priorities, and support the best and brightest to discover and share new knowledge. This way, those who develop new treatments and therapies work in close proximity (virtually or in person) with the researchers and people with disabilities. These teams are motivated by a common purpose and rewarded by shortening the time for research results to be translated into real-life benefits.
It should come as no surprise that this is also the model for the team of staff and volunteers at the Foundation. With an emphasis on open communication, excellence and clearly-understood goals, Rick leads a team built on integrity and motivated by commonly-shared values to make a difference in the lives of others.
While SCI is a devastating injury that can be permanent and a cure is still elusive, research discoveries and improvements in treatments are making a difference, but there’s still a long way to go. For continued success, the momentum built over the last 25 years must be sustained.
Among the Foundation’s accomplishments is the creation of the Rick Hansen Institute. It began as a Foundation project and has grown in both size and success over the years. Today this independent Institute is a Canada-wide collaboration dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for people who live with SCI and related-disabilities. The Foundation will continue to provide leadership and assistance to the Institute in order to attain financial sustainability and expand its programs internationally.
The Foundation would not be able to do its work without its generous supporters. Today, the original funds raised during the Tour have multiplied their value many times over and the Foundation has been able to direct over $200 million toward the cause.
The 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour is a time to celebrate progress and seek new opportunities. The Foundation continues to work on a number of new projects that build on the work already achieved, as it expands its focus beyond Canada and onto the world stage.
On June 27, 1973, at the age of 15, Rick Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in a car crash. Paralyzed from the waist down, he slowly came to terms with his new life and set new goals. His determination and tenacity helped him achieve many of those goals, including winning 19 international wheelchair marathons and six medals as a Paralympian.
During this time, Rick had to overcome numerous barriers that made life so difficult for people with disabilities who wanted to realize their potential. He believed that this wasn’t right, society had to change. He decided the first step would be to raise awareness. . On March 21, 1985, Rick left Vancouver and wheeled around the world on his Man In Motion World Tour. He inspired a nation, raised awareness and received over $26 million in donations for the cause. Following the Tour, the Foundation was born.
Over the years, the Foundation has maintained its focus: find a cure for SCI and improve the quality of life for those with SCI and related disabilities. Years ago, Rick realized there were leaders and experts already working in this field across Canada but often in complete isolation and with inadequate support. From that day to this, a cornerstone of the Foundation’s work has been to create opportunities for collaboration, engage people with disabilities in setting priorities, and support the best and brightest to discover and share new knowledge. This way, those who develop new treatments and therapies work in close proximity (virtually or in person) with the researchers and people with disabilities. These teams are motivated by a common purpose and rewarded by shortening the time for research results to be translated into real-life benefits.
It should come as no surprise that this is also the model for the team of staff and volunteers at the Foundation. With an emphasis on open communication, excellence and clearly-understood goals, Rick leads a team built on integrity and motivated by commonly-shared values to make a difference in the lives of others.
While SCI is a devastating injury that can be permanent and a cure is still elusive, research discoveries and improvements in treatments are making a difference, but there’s still a long way to go. For continued success, the momentum built over the last 25 years must be sustained.
Among the Foundation’s accomplishments is the creation of the Rick Hansen Institute. It began as a Foundation project and has grown in both size and success over the years. Today this independent Institute is a Canada-wide collaboration dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for people who live with SCI and related-disabilities. The Foundation will continue to provide leadership and assistance to the Institute in order to attain financial sustainability and expand its programs internationally.
The Foundation would not be able to do its work without its generous supporters. Today, the original funds raised during the Tour have multiplied their value many times over and the Foundation has been able to direct over $200 million toward the cause.
The 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour is a time to celebrate progress and seek new opportunities. The Foundation continues to work on a number of new projects that build on the work already achieved, as it expands its focus beyond Canada and onto the world stage.
