Tag: Limb difference

A New Generation of Purposeful Leaders

The Hanger Foundation is building its inaugural Emerging Leaders Board, a community of young professionals committed to advancing our mission and deepening impact in the mobility healthcare space.

I have witnessed the truly life-affirming impact a properly fitted and functioning prosthetic can make in someone’s life who would never be able to access it otherwise. I am thrilled to be a part of helping build more opportunities for these individuals!
Cali Livingstone, Director of Customer Operations at LUCI

On September 19, 2026, the Hanger Foundation will host its annual Night to Inspire gala at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The evening will bring together donors, advocates, and community members to honor the resilience of people living with limb loss and limb difference, capped by a celebration concert hosted by country star Rhett Akins.

To lead the charge in the months ahead, the Foundation has formed its inaugural Emerging Leaders Board (ELB), a cohort of passionate young professionals tasked with serving as ambassadors for Night to Inspire, supporting event planning and outreach, cultivating sponsors and community partnerships, and contributing creative ideas that elevate awareness, impact, and fundraising.

The board’s formation is both strategic and symbolic. Last year, Night to Inspire raised more than $700,000 for the Foundation’s mission. The Emerging Leaders Board is designed to deepen that momentum by adding new networks and creating a generation of young leaders invested in funding and support for those impacted by mobility challenges.

The group reflects the kind of cross-disciplinary energy the Hanger Foundation is looking to harness. Cali Livingstone, who leads customer operations at LUCI, a Nashville-based health tech startup that designs smart sensor systems for power wheelchairs, spent the first half of her career in global humanitarian disaster response, including on-the-ground work following the 2013 Sichuan Earthquake and the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. She says what drew her to the Hanger Foundation specifically was its own instinct to respond when need is greatest.

“What especially draws me to the Hanger Foundation, though, is that it was founded when Hanger saw a humanitarian disaster, and a major need for their products and leaned in as part of a disaster relief effort to the Haiti Earthquake.” Livingstone says.

For Nicolas Griebenow the motivation is equally personal. As Co-Chairman of the inaugural Inspire Classic golf tournament, he experienced firsthand what collective generosity looks like when it translates into real outcomes for real people. That experience has stayed with him.

“I witnessed something powerful, the collective energy of people coming together to support those less fortunate, and the real, tangible difference it made in people’s lives,” Griebenow says. “That experience reinforced what I already believed: that giving back is not optional, it is a responsibility.”

Griebenow also sees the board as a professional opportunity unlike any other he has encountered. A finance career built on analysis and strategy, he says, does not naturally create space to learn from leaders across disciplines. The Emerging Leaders Board does.

“I am eager to contribute what I know, grow in what I don’t, and be part of something that is far bigger than any one individual.”

Ready to Join Us?

If you’re a young professional passionate about serving the limb loss and limb difference community and looking to make an impact, we want to hear from you. The Emerging Leaders Board welcomes new perspectives, backgrounds, and networks.

Interested in joining? Email us at [email protected].

Learn more about Night to Inspire, our annual gala supporting the Foundation’s mission.

Finding Joy on the Mountain: How Hanger Foundation Helps Families Belong on the Slopes

When the Sterner family first arrived at Wasatch Adaptive Sports, their hands were full, and they did not quite know what to expect. They brought their kids, a bag full of gear, and a lot of hope.

What they found changed everything.

Audrey and Ryan Sterner have been participating with Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS) since they were three years old. Audrey, described by her family as “by far our most adventurous,” was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at eight months old. Ryan, who is non-verbal, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 14 months. After their diagnosis, their mom, Trisha Sterner, says, “It was really just hard to be hopeful, I think, for the future and what opportunities they’ll have to participate in.”

Then they found the slopes.

For Ryan, the mountain has become a place where he is truly seen. For Ryan’s dad, Josh Sterner, it’s meaningful to see Ryan experience the mountains in the way he did at his age:, “To see the same joy that I used to have doing those things, to see them experience that as well, it just means everything.”

Scholarship assistance has made that joy accessible. With support from the Hanger Foundation, WAS enables families who might not otherwise have the resources or opportunities to enjoy adaptive mountain sports together.

A Season That Delivered, Despite the Odds

The Sterner family is one of 493 unique individuals with disabilities who participated in WAS programs during the 2025-2026 winter season. Together, they generated 2,055 total recreation experiences across adaptive indoor cycling, yoga, skiing, snowboarding, ski-biking, and snowshoeing. That number held strong despite real challenges: poor snow conditions, unexpected instructor injuries, and changes to ski resort operating hours all cut into lesson capacity.

Those challenges didn’t hold back the community from a full season on the mountains.

One hundred thirty-seven people tried WAS for the very first time this season. Behind each of those experiences, were 195 volunteers who gave 1,802 hours of their time as instructors, assistants, and event supporters.

Milestone & Momentum

This winter also brought new achievements for WAS. The organization expanded to two days of slalom ski races at the 40th Annual Steve Young Ski Classic, hosted 150 veterans and active service members for a free half-day of skiing through the Highly Decorated event, launched its first-ever recurring Special Olympics practice team, and completed the third year of the intermediate-to-advanced SitBird Monoski Camp.

Every donation to the Hanger Foundation helps fund programs like Wasatch Adaptive Sports, where scholarships open doors, volunteers show up, and people with disabilities find joy, community, and belonging. Ninety-six percent of WAS experiences this season were made possible through scholarship support. Your gift keeps that number growing.

A Swing for Good: The Inaugural Hanger Foundation Inspire Classic

The inaugural Hanger Foundation Inspire Classic teed off in Austin, TX, and we are still riding the high of what an incredible day it was. Not just for golf, but for the thousands of people this event will help empower.

A Day Defined by Generosity

Thanks to the overwhelming support of our sponsors, golfers, and donors, 92 golfers joined the Inspire Classic and raised more than $158,000 to support the Hanger Foundation’s mission of empowering people with physical challenges to live life as fully as possible.

That number represents more than dollars raised. It represents mobility restored, barriers broken, and possibilities unlocked for people living with limb loss, limb difference, and other physical challenges across the country.

Watching this community come together on the course and raise more than $158,000 in a single day was both amazing and humbling. Every dollar raised directly fuels the work of organizations that are changing lives, and that’s exactly what the Inspire Classic was built to do.
Michael Oros, President, Hanger Clinic, Inspire Classic Executive Sponsor

The Heart of the Day

We were thrilled to welcome Andrew Austen to the Inspire Classic. Born without his right hand and forearm, Andrew grew up in Radnor, PA, competing in everything from soccer and basketball to baseball — and never once let his limb difference define what he could accomplish. He found his calling in adaptive golf, rising to become one of the top-ranked adaptive golfers in the country in the G5 classification and qualifying for the U.S. Adaptive Open.

Beyond competing, Andrew uses social media to share his journey and inspire others living with disabilities, driven by a simple belief: anything is possible. His presence on the course at the Inspire Classic was a perfect embodiment of the Hanger Foundation’s mission and a reminder of what this community is truly all about.

We were also honored to have Jonathan Snyder join us on the course. Born without a left hand and wrist, Jonathan is a back-to-back One Arm National Champion and the Executive Director of the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance, the very organization that hit the first tee shot at the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst in 2022. He is widely recognized as one of the top one-armed golfers in the world, and his work through USAGA has brought adaptive golf to people with disabilities across the country.

Jonathan stationed himself at one of the holes and issued a One-Arm Challenge to every golfer who stepped up, inviting them to take their shot using only one arm. The energy around that hole was electric, and golfers rose to the occasion with enthusiasm.

Funds raised through Jonathan’s One-Arm Challenge went directly to support programs through the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA), a Hanger Foundation grantee.

In a special moment on the course, we presented USAGA with an Empowerment Grant check for $4,100, a tangible symbol of what this community can accomplish together.

Support Beyond the Cause

The Hanger Foundation partners with grassroots nonprofit organizations across the U.S. to fund programs and experiences that might otherwise be out of reach for people with physical challenges. From adaptive sports to peer mentorship to youth camps, the grants made possible by events like the Inspire Classic directly fuel that work. We are especially proud to support organizations bringing adaptive golf to communities nationwide.

This year, Hanger Foundation grantees making an impact on the fairways included:

These organizations are opening doors, building confidence, and proving that the game of golf belongs to everyone.

Thank You to Our Incredible Sponors

The Inspire Classic would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. We are deeply grateful to each and every one of them for believing in our mission and making this day a reality:

Aberdeen Advisors · Merrill Lynch – The Hill Country Group · Toyota of Cedar Park · City Limits Subaru · Hike Medical · Martin Bionics · RSM · BrainRobotics · WillowWood · PROTEOR · Jay-Reese Contractors, Inc. · Orthotic Care Services · Locus Robotics · AT&T · IDEA Auto Group · Exton Advisors LLC · Ottobock · CDW · Loewy Law Firm P.C. · Lloyd’s Capital – Barry & Jeremy Smith · Click Medical · United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA) · WellMed · Ricoh · Inspira Financial · Uline · Datadog · Foley & Lardner LLP

It Takes a Village (and a Great Golf Course!)

None of this would have been possible without the people who showed up and showed out. Whether you:

Sponsored the event and made the day possible from the ground up,
Teed off on the course and brought your best game (and best spirit),
Dropped a ticket in the raffle and crossed your fingers, or
Simply made a donation because you believe in this mission —

Thank you. Every contribution, large and small, adds up to a life-changing impact.

Just the Beginning

The word inaugural means something special: this is only the start. The energy, the camaraderie, and the generosity we witnessed in Austin signal that the Inspire Classic has a bright future ahead. We are already looking forward to what’s next.

Stay connected with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about future events and ways to get involved.

Together, we are breaking down barriers and transforming lives, one swing at a time.

Where Visibility Meets Empowerment: How April Lockhart Helps Others See What’s Possible

When the Hanger Foundation welcomes supporters to Night to Inspire, the evening will be guided by April Lockhart, our co-emcee for an evening of advocacy and celebration in Nashville. As a creator, advocate, and founder of Disabled&, April brings a perspective shaped not only by her work, but by her lived experience within the disability community.

Confidence grows when people feel seen, supported, and welcomed as they are.

For April, confidence didn’t arrive all at once. It was shaped slowly — through lived experience, community, creativity, and a growing understanding of the power of showing up authentically.

Born with a limb difference, April spent much of her early life trying to blend in. Long sleeves, careful poses, and constant self-awareness became her tools for managing how visible her difference was. What began as an interest in fashion — a space she once used to hide — became a vehicle for expression. Sharing her limb difference openly didn’t start easily, but Lockhart says, “The more I stopped concealing, the more free I felt.”

What ultimately shaped her confidence more than anything, though, was community. Meeting other disabled women for the first time gave her a new sense of belonging and language. “It changed everything,” she explains. “It shifted me from performing confidence to actually embodying it.”

That evolution eventually inspired her to create Disabled&, a community built to connect disabled creatives beyond surface-level representation.

Her relationship with visibility deepened as she began hearing from others — young women who saw themselves in her, or parents grateful their children finally had someone to point to with pride. “It wasn’t one big moment,” she says, “but a lot of small ones.”

I realized my role wasn’t to be a symbol. It was to build spaces — both digital and physical — where people feel less alone.

Those messages helped her understand the quiet power of representation: not in dramatic speeches, but in normalizing disability simply by existing in spaces where it hasn’t always been seen.

Why Mobility — and the Work of the Hanger Foundation — Matters

As April prepares to take the stage at Night to Inspire, she’s most excited about the connection at the heart of the event — the way generosity, storytelling, and lived experience intersect. “Mobility isn’t abstract,” she emphasizes. “It’s deeply personal. It’s independence, confidence, dignity, and choice.”

Although April once hesitated to enter disability spaces, those communities are now an anchor in her life. They’ve offered perspective, humor, shared understanding, and a reminder of how diverse disability truly is.

Events like Night to Inspire are powerful because they bridge two worlds — the people doing the behind-the-scenes work to fund mobility and access, and the people whose lives are directly shaped by it.

The Hanger Foundation is proud to partner with April, helping to create a world that celebrates disability, removes barriers to mobility, and expands access and empowerment for all.

Join April Lockhart and the Hanger Foundation at Night to Inspire on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum in Nashville, TN.

This event brings people together to support greater access to opportunities and to uplift stories that show the impact of mobility in everyday life. We look forward to sharing the evening with you and honoring the work that helps more people move forward with confidence.

Move to Inspire 2025 Raises Nearly $80K Benefitting the O&P Community

Move to Inspire 2025 brought together more than 600 participants across seven cities, raising nearly $80,000 for the Hanger Foundation to benefit non-profits supporting people living with limb loss and physical challenges.

The results speak volumes:

636 people registered to participate
60 teams joined to move together and inspire one another
609 donations were made in support of the cause
$78,849 was raised to help continue vital programs and services

In September, we kicked off events in Austin and Phoenix, uniting local community partners to enjoy a vibrant day of movement and connection.

In Phoenix, our Move to Inspire 5k coincided with EmpowerFest 2025, a flagship Hanger Clinic event. Participants ran or walked 5K or 1K courses alongside cheering onlookers. The desert heat couldn’t deter anyone!

In October and November, we saw more inspiring gatherings in Chicago, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Salt Lake City, UT, Alpharetta, GA, and Houston, TX—the energy was contagious!

We would like to extend special thanks to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, which welcomed more than 100 kids and families for a fun-filled day. Michael McCauley, MS, CPO/L FAAOP, Director of Pediatrics – Great Lakes Region at Hanger Clinic, said the day was “a reminder of what’s possible when the Hanger Clinic and Hanger Foundation join forces.”

Rachel Kubicki, Executive Director of the Hanger Foundation, reflected on the success of this year’s challenge:

The Move to Inspire Challenge reminds us that every step, every mile, and every moment of movement can create real change. Thanks to our incredible participants and supporters, we’re not just raising funds, we’re building a future where mobility is possible for everyone.

This success would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors: Hanger Clinic, College Park, Thuanse, Trulife, and SleevSaver. Their support, along with the efforts of every participant, donor, and volunteer, ensures that the Hanger Foundation can continue funding life-changing programs.

To everyone who registered, donated, or cheered from the sidelines, thank you. Your commitment makes a lasting impact and helps us advance our mission to empower individuals with limb loss and mobility challenges.

Tag: Limb difference