NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Mark Raymond Jr. heads the nonprofit Split Second Foundation to assist the disabled in everyday life.
His life changed after suffering a spinal cord injury, and in an effort to make people aware of the challenges faced by the disabled, Raymond developed what he calls the “Roll with Me” campaign.
According to Raymond, Roll with Me stemmed from the idea that if I can put somebody in my shoes, you would see the life that I have to live from this perspective.
The campaign also brings attention to the need for ADA compliance throughout the city and the Split Second Foundation, which aims to help the disabled not only live but thrive.
“We’ve been able to do that in a number of different ways by providing the programs we provide. Fitness, mental health, resource navigation, but what we learned early on was that cost was another huge barrier. By keeping our programs mostly free, we’ve been able to get a lot of people engaged, keep a lot of people healthy,” said Raymond.
In order to do so, the nonprofit’s third annual Show of Love Gala is coming up on Friday, Oct. 13 at the Contemporary Arts Center.
This year’s gala also showcases the first Show of Love Awards including, The Healthcare Hero, Volunteer of the Year, Advocate of the Year and Caregiver of the Year
Raymond says the recognition is aimed at acknowledging people who have helped push forward the work of assisting the disabled.
To learn more about the gala and to purchase tickets, visit the Show of Love Gala website.
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