At the seventh annual Soup, Soap and Salvation Dinner to benefit the Salvation Army of Indian River County, keynote speaker Travis Roy shared the positive side of his experiences as a quadriplegic. Roy suffered a spinal cord injury after only 11 seconds on the ice, playing hockey in a game that he had been planning for his entire life.
Guests have long come to expect heart-tugging speakers at this yearly fundraiser, held last Saturday evening at the Oak Harbor Club, and Roy was no exception. He brought many to tears speaking about what it was like to suddenly lose his life goal of playing professional hockey and how he reinvented himself as founder of the Travis Roy Foundation.
Roy related that while playing in his first major hockey game, with his Boston University dream team, he went head first into the boards, crushing two vertebrae in his spine and rendering him as a lifelong quadriplegic.
Despite the pain, Roy was still able to look at his father and say proudly, “I made it,” referring to the accomplishment of a goal he had planned his whole life.
“There are two rules to get where you want to go,” said Roy. “One is to have the desire to be as good as you can be and see how far you can take it, and the other is having pride in knowing you tried your best in what you set out to do.”
Rather than pity his reality, Roy chose to make new goals to help others. His foundation has raised more than $4 million to fund spinal injury research and also donates special equipment so that patients can return to their homes.
Although tickets were not sold for the delicious surf and turf dinner, guests made donations into Red Kettle centerpieces at each table afterward. It is a brilliant strategy that relies on the speaker to inspire guests to fill the kettle and Roy most certainly motivated all who attended.
Mary Gorman, an 18-year Salvation Army board member, contributes the type of large monetary gift needed to bring in inspirational speakers.
“When I was a young woman, my uncle, a priest at St. Jude’s, told me the Salvation Army never let him down,” said Gorman. “He worked in a poor diocese and could call on the Major and he would always do something. He told me that if I was ever in a position to help the Salvation Army, to do it in his memory.”
The Salvation Army takes care of the most desperate in practical ways, assisting the homeless, sick, poor and addicted with their basic needs.
“To me, it is an organization that needs to be supported,” said Susan Smith. “Their work is tried and true, their administrative costs are very low and the money goes to where it should be going.”
“The main theme tonight is ‘Others’ and Travis is helping others who cannot help themselves,” said John Corapi, director of development. “He lived his life with passion to play hockey and then after the accident he realized that this happened for a reason, whether he liked it or not. Now he is helping others and his life has a purpose. It is the same as our founder William Booth’s – helping others to do the most good.”
