February 21, 2022 by Laura Harper Winters
All Photos by Bill Brett Boston
On Saturday, February 12, 2022, 100 guests gathered at Tosca to raise funds for Hingham's newest local non-profit, The Lead Out Foundation.
The Lead Out Foundation was formed by Dan and Mary Holleran whose son Liam was born with Spina Bifida, a defect in the neural tube that impacts the development of the spinal cord.
As Dan, Mary, and Liam began to navigate the SB community, it became clear that there were many gaps and needs in terms of access and care; while they knew they couldn’t address them all, Dan and Mary specifically wanted to focus their efforts on combating mobility-related issues. From those initial conversations, the Lead Out Foundation was established in 2021 with a goal of funding grants to help improve the quality of life of individuals with mobility challenges (due to neurological disorders, birth defects, or traumatic spinal cord injury) and achieve greater independence.
Sponsored by The Hingham Police Association, The Hingham Anchor, Enterprise Equipment, Lauren Mahoney of Compass Realty, Beale LLC and Boston Building Maintenance, the Tosca event, a first of many planned for the organization, raised nearly $10,000 that will go directly to the mission of funding mobility-related needs in the local South Shore community.
When asked about her involvement with the new organization, board member Megan Calabrese shared with the Anchor, "in terms of quality of life, mobility is something that is easy for many of us to take for granted, but for the mobility challenged community, a grant for a ramp or chair can be life-changing." Calabrese continued, "by working together, we can help to relieve the burden for these families."
The Holleran family is grateful for the support they have received at the event and through private donors. "We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the community and are so thankful for everyone who attended the event, donated, and sponsored," shared Dan Holleran. Mary continued, "this is something we are very passionate about and, thanks to the donors and event attendees, we will be able to make a difference in people's lives immediately."
To learn more about the foundation and how you can get involved, visit the Lead Out Foundation’s website at www.tlofoundation.org.