In Partnership With:

Help us race for disability rights and improve access to physical activity!




With your help, our team will raise awareness for the disability community at this year's 40th annual Hood To Coast Relay - and help kickstart and promote So Kids Can Move, a new state-based initiative advocating for children with limb loss and limb difference to have access to recreational prostheses!


Help our "athlete-advocates" get to the starting line and bring awareness to this first-of-its-kind advocacy initiative in the country with your donation!


About The Campaign

       

Forrest Stump is kicking-off its annual awareness and advocacy event in conjunction with the renowned Hood To Coast (HTC) Relay. Over 19,000 people from 40 countries and all 50 states run HTC every year, but people with disabilities make up less than 1% of these racers. 

Part of the reason for this low representation is inadequate access to the appropriate prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs, sighted guides, and other medical care the disability community needs to be physically active. Without coverage, it's often unaffordable and out of reach.

Forrest Stump’s 12 physically challenged "athlete-advocates," VI guide, and prosthetist/orthotist, know this reality firsthand. As such, Team Forrest Stump will run HTC's 200 miles in 36-hours on Aug 26-27, 2022 with one message: People with disabilities deserve the right to exercise, but lack of insurance coverage of medically necessary prosthetic & orthotic care - and other assistive devices - prevents equitable access to participation in physical activity.

As part of this awareness event, Forrest Stump has also teamed up with the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics & Prosthetics (NAAOP), to help kickstart and promote awareness on their new state-based advocacy initiative called So Kids Can Move, targeting Oregon and Washington to become the first states after Maine to cover recreational prostheses for children.

Many of Forrest Stump's athletes were either born with their disability or acquired it as children and have spent their entire lives fighting for equal access. We'll use this race as a public platform for social change so that more people - especially children - can get to the starting line!

Learn more about Maine's recent efforts: UNE alum Jordan Simpson convinces legislators to pass new law regarding prosthetic devices



[DONATE NOW]

Support At Any Level

Support our team! $50

Any amount can help support Forrest Stump's historic team representing the disability community at this year's Hood To Coast! Help us promote the next generation of children with disabilities so they can get to the starting line with the appropriate prosthetic, orthotic, and medical care they need.

Fundraise

Become part of our official HTC Van Fam! $250

Join the family! Cheer on Van 1 and Van 2 virtually at Hood To Coast! You'll receive a signed team photo and thank you note from our Hood To Coast family to yours.

Fundraise

Cover a Forrest Stump Athlete's Race Fees $500

Cover an athlete's race fees for Hood To Coast and help us represent the disability community! Your name will be published in our campaign acknowledgements.

Fundraise

Sponsor a Forrest Stump Athlete at Hood To Coast $1,500

Help ensure our athlete-advocates can get to the starting line to raise awareness by covering the full cost of their participation - race fees, transportation, housing, food, and more! We'll include your name or company logo as part of our sponsors.

Fundraise

Meet The Team

Sign up in support of this campaign!
Start Fundraising

Why We're Running Hood To Coast

 “Our team will represent what can happen when you are able to gain access to the proper equipment. Why Hood to Coast? It is claimed to be the largest running relay in the world, and we have an opportunity to educate and show thousands of people what we represent. As a recent amputee, I had no idea insurance would not cover certain legs for me to go back to all the activities I did before my amputation.”  

- Dee Palagi / Portland, Oregon


 “I feel honored to be a part of the team, and racing with an incredible group of people. It is so important to raise awareness, and make effort towards changing the narrative for what it means to receive disability care. This was a no brainer. This will be my longest race I’ve ever participated in, so the challenge is also very exciting.” 

-Mallorie Hoyos-Starkenburg / Seattle, WA


“A true passion of mine is helping provide athletes with the adaptive equipment needed to achieve their athletic goals. This is why Forrest Stump was created in the first place: to remove the barriers that restrict access and limit potential. This year’s endeavor, the Hood to Coast Relay, will showcase why our work matters and help kickstart the So Kids Can Move advocacy campaign.”

- Natalie Harold, CPO / Vancouver, WA


"I love doing one ridiculous endeavour a year to really push the limits of what people with MS can do to a whole new scale. When I met Nicole and learned of her cause, I was beyond ecstatic to join such a  passionate team! Advocating for running through a diverse team re-defining how disabilities are viewed is something I am beyond proud to help endorse.”  

- Lina Garada / Seattle, WA


[SUPPORT THE TEAM]

Campaign Activity

See who supports this cause and what they have to say about it!

Sponsors

Forrest Stump is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting equitable access to physical activity for individuals with disabilities. Forrest Stump believes physical activity is a human right. But today, millions of Americans with disabilities lack access to the medical equipment and care needed to be physically active. It’s time to change that.

www.ForrestStump.org


The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is a trusted partner, advocating for and serving the orthotic and prosthetic community. AOPA fosters relationships with decision makers, provides education, supports research, and advances equality to strengthen the O&P profession and improve the lives of patients. 

www.AOPAnet.org



The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) is a non-profit trade association dedicated to educating policymakers and promoting policy solutions that is in the best interests of O&P patients and the providers who serve them. 

www.NAAOP.us