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 Christopher Connolly
Chris is a precocious 16 year old from Chicago. He is currently entering his Junior year of high school at Walter Payton College Prep. An exceptional student Chris has been on the honor roll throughout his high school career. When he is not at school, Chris focuses on an intensive physical therapy program with 5-6 sessions a week. When Chris is not studying or working out he enjoys funny movies, working on his computer and playing Wii.
 Dennis Connolly
Dennis is Chris' older brother. He currently works at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois in business operations. Additionally he is attending the University of Chicago Evening MBA program, focusing in Finance, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management.
 Jessica Efron Sauer
Since her days as a Kinesiology student at The University of Michigan, Jessica has been interested in medical education and medical research. Once fully recovering from being paralyzed 15 years ago, Jessica was moved to donate her time to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, inspired by her personal experience and education. As an Educational Admissions Advisor at Kaplan University, she is excited to be a part of an organization which offers such vast resources and important medical research for people living with paralysis. Personally, she and her her husband, Phillip, are enjoying life as newlyweds."
 Molly Farrell
Molly Farrell was spinal cord injured when she was 13 years old as a result of a diving accident during a swim team practice. The doctors told her that she was paralyzed from the neck down with little chance for recovery. Molly believes that because of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's unyielding drive to fund amazing research, today she is able to walk with crutches. She wants to share her story so that others can find the courage and strength in themselves to persevere. Molly has spoken at the Reeve Foundation's A Magical Evening, has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show, and was named one of the “20 Teens Who Will Change the World” by Teen People in April 2006. Molly is currently a freshman at Notre Dame University’s sister school, St. Mary’s College.
 Malini Goel
Malini Goel is a lawyer and environmental policy analyst from Chicago currently living and working in New York as a United Nations consultant. Malini is also in the process of starting a line of eco-friendly toys for launch in 2009. In 2006, Malini's father had an accident rendering him quadriplegic on a ventilator. Malini, her Dad, Mom and brother, like so many other families who have dealt with spinal cord injury, came together and worked hard to take on the challenges that confronted them (and that still confront them). Despite many odds, Malini's Dad is talking, eating and out and about in his powerchair and van. Malini's owes this progress to her Mom's unwavering love and commitment and her Dad's strong will (not to mention his great attitude and sense of humour). Her parents are enjoying life to the fullest every day despite challenges. Malini says of her parents, "They are the "ultimate example of grace under pressure" and hopes to write a book about them.
 Neal Goss
In November of 1999 at the age of 15, Neal Goss was injured during a high school hockey game. Despite the injury left him paralyzed from the waist down, Neal has gone on to achieve extraordinary things. Neal received the Human Spirit Award at the 2003 Daniel Heumann Fund for Spinal Cord Research and the Reeve Foundation’s Celebration of the Human Spirit. In 2006 Neal obtained a Bachelors of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is now working at a proprietary trading firm in Chicago.
 Joel Heifitz
Co-founder and CEO of Concept Laboratories Inc., Joel Heifitz is a well-known resource for business owners seeking advice in the areas of leadership, direction and motivation. Before co-founding Concept Labs, a Chicago-based health and beauty manufacturer, in 1995, Joel owned a mail order supplier called Joy International. He also helped start the One Hour Photo program at the Walgreen Co. Devoted husband and father of four, Joel says he is both selfishly and unselfishly obsessed with the cure for paralysis. When he’s not working for the cause, he’s busy keeping up on current events, reading about politics, and serving on the Human Relations Council of his neighborhood community. Joel currently lives in Glencoe, IL, where he is looking forward to the future and focusing on his families’ health and happiness.
 Kelly Heneghan
Kelly Heneghan is a Comedy for a Cure event co-chair. She is an attorney and President of O.C.A. Construction, Inc., a Chicago area General Contractor. Her interest in spinal cord injury repair is heartfelt in that her brother Jon is a quadriplegic. She also works with Next Steps, a not for profit spinal cord injury rehab center founded by Jon. Kelly is married to her husband Patrick and they have a Jack Russell Terrier named Bruiser.
 Lisa Hurst
Lisa Hurst suffered a spinal cord infarct in 2003 - no accident, no trauma, just an unexplainable medical fluke, unlikely for someone of her age and health. Like so many she became immediately introduced to the daily and ongoing issues related to living with a spinal cord injury, and acutely aware of how much of the simplest daily movement she had taken for granted. While, after much hard work, she is considered a pretty high functioning spinal cord injury, she is always aware of the struggle her body faces every day, always trying to balance the difficulty in moving with an innate desire to move.
She currently lives in Evanston Illinois and is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Northbrook. She enjoys traveling to visit friends and family all over the country, and pushing herself to get physically stronger! She is honored to be involved with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, an organization that not only provides important grants for research and quality of life, but has also been instrumental in raising awareness of spinal cord issues and providing important hope for the future.
 Erin Kinahan
Erin Kinahan is a health care attorney in Chicago. She received her law degree from DePaul University in 2001 and her business degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995. In 1993, Erin's junior year, the Wisconsin football team made it to the Rose Bowl, which was the first time since 1963. She and three friends decided to drive to Pasadena to cheer on the Badgers but on the way to the game were involved in a car accident in Arizona that resulted in Erin's T-10 spinal cord injury. Erin is looking forward to working with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation in order to carry out its mission.
 Allison Lester
Allison Lester is 33 years old and lives in Burr Ridge, IL with her husband Rich, 2 1/2 yr. old son Ollie, and Siberian Husky, Sidney. She enjoys traveling with her family, working out, organizing different events, decorating, and taking care of her son at home. Ten years ago, months after getting married, Allison was involved in a car accident. It left her paralyzed from the waist down. She went from someone who barely knew what the word paralysis meant to someone who had to learn to live with it every day. She was told she would never walk again.
Through the help of her family, she always had hope that the future would not be so bleak. Hope is what still keeps her going every day. She has also found strength in the hope of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. She can't think of a better organization to be a part of and is excited to help with this Chicago event. The future doesn't have to look so bleak anymore to someone who has just sustained a spinal cord injury. It's no longer a question of "IF" they will find a cure but, "WHEN"? How amazing is that?!
 Joseph and Patricia Murphy
Joseph P. Murphy, BA, MA, MBA, is a Commander with the Forensic Services Unit of the Chicago Police Department. Joe and his wife Pat share two grown children and four wonderful grandchildren. Joe has been on the Chicago Police Department for 38 years. He enjoys boating, swimming, and being outdoors. Patricia J. Murphy, RN, BSN, MSN, MBA, is the Director of Oncology Nursing, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Patricia enjoys boating, swimming, hiking, bicycling, and being outdoors.
 Julie Neustadt
Julie sustained a spinal cord injury in August 2003 when she was swimming in a lake and someone jumped on her from a rock ledge above. Her kids were 5 and 7 years old at the time. She went from being an active mom and wife to being severely limited in her activities while living from a wheelchair. Her life now includes countless hassles and bizarre health complications, including constant pain. She gets through a day at a time by holding on to the hope that someday there will be treatments to change this condition. She misses simply walking hand in hand with her kids and husband. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is important to Julie due to its support of research scientists who are poised to deliver the answers that will change the lives of spinal cord injured people worldwide.
 Jon O'Connor
Jon O'Connor is a Board Member of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and a Comedy for a Cure event co-chair. Jon is founder and director of NextSteps Chicago, Next Steps' quest is to find the most progressive and promising spinal cord injury research and rehabilitative methods available. Jon lives with paralysis and sees it his mission to bring a cure to fruition.
 Randy Ramsey
Randy Ramsey manages business development for InnerWorkings, a Chicago, IL based company and a leading provider of managed print and promotional procurement solutions to corporate clients. Before joining InnerWorkings in 2004, Ramsey served as President of Ramsey Advertising since March 1989. He is also one of the four founders of the Mulliganeers, Giving Kids a Second Chance. Since 1993, the Mulliganeers have donated over $3 million to children in need of medical support. Ramsey was a three-year starting guard on DePaul University’s men’s basketball team for the legendary Coach Ray Meyer. Elite 8 in 1978 and Sweet 16 in 1976. Randy and his wife Katie have two children, Randy Jr. and Renee, and reside in Riverside, IL. Ramsey was born January 29, 1955, in Peoria, IL and received a bachelor’s degree in education, DePaul University 1978, and an MBA from DePaul University in 1983.
 Mihra Seta
Mihra was only 11 years old when her father was injured by a sniper bullet in Bosnia. Up to that point, her father led a very active lifestyle; however, the injury left him paralyzed and wheelchair-confined for the rest of his life. His whole life changed and so did the rest of the family’s. For a number of years, Mihra wanted to get involved with an organization that was close to heart and that would bring hope to kids, adults and families whose loved ones had spinal cord injuries. By getting involved with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, she hopes to contribute in any way that she can in bringing hope and making lives better. She strongly believes that it only takes one person to start a reaction and a handful of people to make a difference. Mihra is a Private Client Associate in the Wealth Management division of Wells Fargo Bank.
Debbie and John Ziegelman
Debbie and John Ziegelman have been leaders in the mission to cure spinal cord injury and paralysis, as longtime friends of Reeve Foundation Leadership Board member Danny Heumann. Debbie and John are the proud parents of three wonderful boys, and John is Founder, President and Chief Investment Officer of Carpe Diem Capital Management in Chicago.
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The Chicago Chapter is excited to have Team Reeve members participate in the 
