The YMCA of Greater Providence hosted their third annual support campaign community breakfast today, featuring Gary “Tiger” Balletto, a professional boxer from Cranston, who shared a short clip from a documentary that focuses on his boxing career, and spoke of his tragic accident and the battle he is waging to regain his health.
A husband and father who has held the title of IBU world lightweight champion, Gary is working with the Cranston YMCA to raise funds for the purchase of a FES bike. This is a rehabilitation and functional tool for people with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and the effects of stroke. Using pulses of an electrical current to stimulate peripheral nerves, it evokes muscle contractions and patterned muscle activity.
Anyone who would like to help Gary and the Y raise the $30,000 needed to purchase this amazing piece of exercise equipment can contact Mike Norklun at the Cranston Y, at 943-0444 or MNorklun@gpymca.org.
