Reaching for The Stars, A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy, Merges with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), a sixty-year old foundation based in New York City and a leading voice in the world of Cerebral Palsy and disabilities, announced today that Reaching for the Stars, A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy (RFTS), one of the largest parent-led global CP nonprofits, will become part of CPF.

The merger of these two leading organizations in the field of cerebral palsy and disability will leverage the organizations' unique strengths and complementary capabilities to advance the field in new and innovative ways.

"We are thrilled to announce this merger," said Richard Ellenson, CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. "Bringing Reaching for the Stars into CPF will add enormously to our efforts to be a catalyst for new opportunities for people with CP and related disabilities. RFTS's outreach, remarkable accomplishments advocating for the CP community, and long heritage fit so well within the CPF mission and will greatly enhance our shared goals."

Cynthia Frisina, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Reaching for the Stars, an educator, and leader in the field, will join CPF as Vice President of Partnerships, managing the foundation's growing national and global footprint, as well as its grants portfolio. The RFTS executive board - Wendy Sullivan, Michael Kutcher, Brad Searle and Dr. Lisa Thornton - will also become part of the CPF family, becoming members of a newly formed Advisory Circle, tasked with informing and evolving CPF's many efforts.

Said Cynthia Frisina, "Bringing together Reaching for the Stars and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation is an exciting move forward in connecting our shared capabilities and advancing progress for the entire field. Our unified vision of transforming lives for people with cerebral palsy through research, innovation, and collaboration will create new opportunities and significant near-term impact."

CPF's key initiatives focus on improving early detection of CP, improving inclusion in schools, and developing technology platforms which offer a wide range of resources to help people with CP and their families better manage challenges and issues. CPF also provides a robust stream of social media content to help change the way we all look at disability. To date, the Foundation's video resources have generated over 75 million views.

The Foundation's work informs, connects, and empowers people with cerebral palsy and related disabilities and their families. Reaching for the Stars, with their strong family-centric focus and advocacy leadership, will add a huge multiplier to these efforts.

The new entity will retain the name the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

About the Cerebral Palsy Foundation

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), a sixty-year old nonprofit foundation headquartered in New York City and a leading voice in the world of Cerebral Palsy, serves as a thought-leader and catalyst to create new opportunities in the world of disability. The Foundation focuses on improving the lives of people with Cerebral Palsy today through research, innovation and collaboration. Its deep partnerships with medical institutions, corporations and media companies support the efforts to inform, connect, and empower people with CP and their families. To learn more visit www.yourcpf.org.

About Reaching for the Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Reaching for the Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy (RFTS) is a global family-centered nonprofit foundation launched in 2004 by parents with children with Cerebral Palsy focused on the belief that education, awareness and research can deliver measurable improvements in the lives of impacted children and their families.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Richard Ellenson, CEO, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation
[email protected] 
917.952.9900

Cynthia Frisina, Vice President of Partnerships, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation
[email protected]
404.281.9773

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/12754139

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Related Links

http://www.yourcpf.org