 Today, October 20, I, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, do hereby proclaim October 20, 2015 as Travis Roy Day in the city of Boston. It's been 20 years since Travis Roy cracked his fourth vertebra in his first collegiate game, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He had ambitions of becoming a hockey great, maybe even a Hall of Famer under Boston University's legendary head coach, Jack Parker. Since then, his life has taken on a completely different path, and the ride started with the Travis Roy Foundation. The foundation began in 1997 in a concerted effort to raise money for research and medical assistance in order to help those with spinal cord issues. The support from the community has grown steadily each year, thanks largely in part to one person in particular. Because of Travis, I mean, there's no nothing else. It's Travis. He's a charisma, he has the personality, he is very inspiring to people. So many people in the New England area saw his story, they follow it, and it just resonates with them. And he's just a fabulous guy, and his story has reached out and spread, and he does great things. Not only has the foundation continued to spread, but it's taken on a life of its own. Here are some incredible statistics that demonstrated substantial financial contributions. The foundation has handed out $3.5 million worth of equipment, including wheelchairs and lifts, to over 1,000 people with spinal cord injuries. They have been able to successfully raise nearly $1 million per year. Their research donations have totaled more than $2.5 million. The night was capped off by a special announcement when anonymous donors donated a seven-figure gift to support a partnership with the Travis Roy Foundation. That impactful gift will also fund and endow professorship in the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at BU Sergeant College. ESPN anchor John Butchegra says that any financial support greatly assists the research process, helping those who suffer from disabilities to attain physical liberation. In the cause gains momentum, like it did here, then you can raise millions of dollars and really try to make a difference in the lives of those who get the injuries and then, of course, ultimately to try to, you know, reboot their bodies, reboot their spines, reboot things so they can at least, you know, have more movement, more independence. We all love independence and freedom. And those are the two words I think that people in Travis Roy's position are looking for, freedom and independence. Now Travis admits that this portion of his life isn't quite the same as the adrenaline rush that he felt scoring a goal in hockey, but the impact he's been able to net since that devastating night 20 years ago has been far more rewarding than he could have ever imagined. I found a purpose. Through the work of the foundation, I'm devoted to it, dedicated to it, I want to see science go forward, I want to see whatever that furious happened. So there's no doubt this study nearly as fun as being a hockey player, but I do think it has to be free to me. In just 11 seconds, 20-year-old Travis Roy thought that his life was completely over. Now, 20 years later, he realized that his life had only just begun. A man of many hats, he's truly an inspiration to us all. Torrance Latham, B-U News.