With pro bono services, nonprofit group opens first office, adding new staff to enhance lives of people suffering spinal cord injury. Office design showcases features for independence and accommodation.
The Travis Roy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals who have suffered spinal cord injuries as well as supporting their families, has announced the opening of its Boston office. Located at 101 Huntington Avenue, the new office reflects the support of widespread giving as well as the donation of pro bono services from companies including Dyer Brown, Boston Properties, CBRE, JDL Corporate Interiors, and Officeworks.
“We’re proud of this special opportunity to deliver our firm’s design services to creating the uplifting and highly functional spaces needed for the Travis Roy Foundation’s new home,” says Tara Martin, principal and director of client services for Dyer Brown. “Travis is an inspiring person who makes a daily difference in the lives of countless people in the Greater Boston community and beyond.”
To celebrate the office opening and thank the contributors, the Travis Roy Foundation will hold an inaugural celebration on Wednesday, November 15th.
“This office will be a game-changer,” says Travis Roy, founder of the eponymous charity. “Thanks to the team that built it, and to an anonymous ten-year gift, the foundation now has the office space and the financial ability to hire staff and expand our mission to serve more families and people affected by spinal cord injuries. We’re grateful for the work by Dyer Brown to help us enhance those lives.”
Roy suffered a serious spinal cord injury 22 years ago as a player on the Boston University hockey team, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Confined to a wheelchair, Roy has gone on to live a fulfilling and productive life, dedicating his time to work as an inspiring motivational speaker and to building and growing the Travis Roy Foundation from his home, starting in 1997. According to Roy, the foundation’s primary focus includes funding medical research on treatments to treat damage to the central nervous system, as well as providing one-on-one assistance for individuals with spinal injury as well as supporting their families, in the form of “Quality of Life grants.”
“The new office provides a space where we can capture the positive energy of the Foundation and our work, and share it with the Boston community,” says Keith VanOrden, managing director of investment firm BlackRock, also a Foundation trustee and Roy’s brother-in-law. “We are very proud of the work we have done and the lives we have been able to impact positively. Having a home base, here in the heart of Boston, will allow us to amplify our efforts.”
Dyer Brown designed the 2,000-square-foot space to allow Roy to operate with considerable independence—a focus of Travis Roy Foundation’s work with individuals. Accessibility features are seamlessly integrated into the welcoming, contemporary office interior, including Roy’s desk, which can be raised and lowered with the push of a button. Other design elements supporting accessibility include automatic door release mechanisms in the bathrooms, and ADA-compliant motion-activated automatic doors at the entry.
“We are thrilled that Travis has chosen to locate the Travis Roy Foundation’s long-term home at Prudential Center,” Bryan Koop, Executive Vice President, Boston Region for Boston Properties. “Travis’ resilience has been an inspiration for Bostonians for many years and we are pleased to provide an accessible and central location for the Foundation’s mission to grow.”
“Having a dedicated headquarters in downtown Boston will help us continue the growth we’ve been experiencing over the past eight years, by providing a place to meet with significant donors and business groups,” adds Roy. “Not only do we have a space now, but it’s 10 times better than what we imagined. Thanks to the design by Dyer Brown and the work of the project team, we now have the appropriate space so people with spinal cord injuries can come to the office and volunteer.”
Those who know Roy well understand what the office means for him, and for the Foundation. Attorney Art Page of Hemenway & Barnes LLP—who has been providing Roy and his family with legal assistance behind the scenes since he reached out to them after the accident—offered this perspective: “For over twenty years Travis has helped thousands of others move forward, with grants and personal inspiration—all quarterbacked out of his apartment. With the new office, the Travis Roy Foundation gains a home of its own, extending its reach. It has re-energized Trav and all the volunteers and supporters who have been inspired by his cause.”
Adds Page, “We are so grateful to everyone who has made this happen.”
The location of the office at the Prudential Center also reaffirms Roy’s relationship with the Greater Boston community, which responded to the news of Roy’s sudden injury two decades ago with enthusiastic and sustained outpourings of support. In response, the Travis Roy Foundation has extended its fundraising through unique events such as hockey and Wiffle-ball benefit games, with the intent of bringing communities together for fun while raising awareness of the organization’s work. Roy also maintains a close relationship with his alma mater, Boston University: the foundation’s anonymous 10-year financial gift that made the new office possible was given through the university, and an additional anonymous gift helped establish a Travis Roy Chair at the University’s College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College.
Christopher Moore, dean of Sargent College, says, “It is our great pleasure to support the administrative efforts and the beautiful new office spaces of the Travis Roy Foundation, as we jointly endeavor to address some of the most challenging problems in rehabilitation. Sargent College and Boston University proudly partner with the Foundation in seeking to maximize for all people their participation in their communities.”
The inaugural celebration on November 15th is an invitation-only event.
“I’m optimistic for what the future holds for the Travis Roy Foundation and for people with paralysis,” says Roy. “It’s still a way off, but I look forward to the day when a breakthrough is found and we can go out of business.”
About Travis Roy Foundation
Established in 1997, the Travis Roy Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the life of individuals with spinal cord injuries and their families by providing adaptive equipment and to finding a cure through increased funding of research, resulting in self-reliance and the ability to be as independent as possible. Inspired by Travis Roy’s own story, the lifeblood of the Foundation has been the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations across North America. This generosity has made an immediate impact on the lives of many individuals.
About Dyer Brown
Recognized nationally for its award-winning portfolio of architecture and interior design projects, Dyer Brown Architects offers a fully integrated suite of professional services including high-level building owner and corporate advisory as well as 3D concept visualization. The firm’s clients range from property owner/developers and end-users to global corporations and leading regional brands in such market sectors as workplace, retail, hospitality and higher education. Known for its unwavering commitment to both design excellence and client service, Dyer Brown’s 50 professionals forge long-lasting relationships with business leaders, building owners and brokers, and institutional leaders. Dyer Brown believes that buildings and spaces — the backdrop to our daily, shared experience — should always be inspiring, useful and enjoyable. See the firm’s award-winning work and a detailed overview at dyerbrown.com.