Paragon 28 Continues Support for Steps2Walk's "Stepping Together" Campaign with Annual Donation
Stepping Together mobilizes corporate partners, foundations and other industry stakeholders to make a meaningful impact on those needing orthopedic care.
DENVER, May 23, 2024 Steps2Walk® and Paragon 28, organizations dedicated to orthopedic care for those with severe foot and ankle deformities, are thrilled to announce the continuation of their partnership for the second consecutive year. Through Steps2Walk's corporate giving campaign, "Stepping Together," Paragon 28's commitment makes them a Platinum-level donor, the highest level offered by the nonprofit. Their generous donations over the course of the last several years, and their renewed commitment in 2024, have helped support four programs in that time, reaching up to 80 patients who desperately needed surgical treatment and delivering critical training for as many as 100 local surgeons and residents in under-served countries around the world.
Founded by Dr. Mark Myerson in 2000, Steps2Walk is an international humanitarian nonprofit providing foot and ankle surgeries and education in under-served regions around the world. The organization plans to use the donation to fund its recently launched Steps2Walk Global Institute, which offers a variety of educational programming to orthopedic surgeons in the underserved countries where it serves.
"Each Steps2Walk program incorporates a robust educational component, where local surgeons learn advanced surgical techniques and practices...This donation will help tremendously with that training." - Dr. Mark Myerson, President & Founder of Steps2Walk
"We're immensely grateful to Paragon 28 for their donation and continued support of our mission to give the 'Gift of Walking' to people around the world suffering from severe foot and ankle deformities," said Myerson. "In many of the regions we visit, patients must travel for days to see the one orthopedic surgeon in their country who is specialized in this field. Each Steps2Walk program incorporates a robust educational component, where local surgeons learn advanced surgical techniques and practices, so they may in turn treat patients in their communities. This donation will help tremendously with that training."
A leading research and innovation company in the foot and ankle orthopedic space, Paragon 28's donation is a demonstration of its commitment to addressing unmet needs and challenges faced by the industry, particularly on a global scale.
"We are incredibly proud to continue supporting Steps2Walk's 'Stepping Together' campaign and the incredible work they are doing to support people around the world with foot and ankle disabilities," said Albert DaCosta, CEO of Paragon 28. "Their efforts have brought world-class medical education and access where it is needed most and have given patients meaningful improvements to their quality of life."
The Stepping Together campaign is in its second year and so far has secured $4.9 million in donations since its launch.
"Stepping Together offers industry stakeholders an opportunity to partner with Steps2Walk through employee fundraising, company matching, contests and other giving initiatives," said Steps2Walk CEO Tom Ferro. "In the end, just like all of our donor campaigns, Stepping Together helps us provide the gift of walking to those most in need."
This year, Steps2Walk is embarking on 17 missions around the world where access to specialists in foot and ankle surgical care – and ongoing training in the specialty – is limited. Already, the organization has conducted surgical and educational programs in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Tanzania and Mexico, treating 58 patients and providing training to 76 local surgeons.
"At Paragon 28 we aspire to make a lasting impact on the world of foot and ankle care," said DaCosta. "Our long-time partnership with Steps2Walk reflects our commitment to our mission to continuously improve the outcomes and experiences of patients suffering from foot and ankle conditions."
For more information on how your company can take part in the "Stepping Together" campaign, contact Tom Ferro at [email protected]. Steps2Walk also accepts online donations, which can give the gift of walking to those who need it most and help fund critical training and education programs for regional orthopedic surgeons.
About Steps2Walk
Steps2Walk, a 501(c)(3) organization, is an international network of surgeons working to perform surgical care on individuals suffering from severe foot and ankle deformities in under-served regions of the world, while simultaneously educating orthopedic surgeons in various treatment and care alternatives. Founded by Dr. Mark Myerson in 2000 to provide a sustainable model of care and surgical training and to help patients regain their mobility and improve their quality of life, Steps2Walk envisions a world where everyone, no matter their circumstances, has access to quality surgical foot and ankle care. In its 23 years of service, Steps2Walk has completed more than 1,550 surgical operations and trained more than 1,500 regional surgeons in over 24 countries around the globe. By investing time into educating local surgeons and revisiting countries where the need is greatest and the resources are few, Steps2Walk is creating a lasting impact that will ultimately give The Gift of Walking to thousands of people worldwide.
About Paragon 28, Inc.
Based in Englewood, CO., Paragon 28, is a leading medical device company exclusively focused on the foot and ankle orthopedic market and is dedicated to improving patient lives. From the onset, Paragon 28® has provided innovative orthopedic solutions, procedural approaches and instrumentation that cover a wide range of foot and ankle ailments including fracture fixation, forefoot, ankle, progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) or flatfoot, Charcot foot and orthobiologics. The company designs products with both the patient and surgeon in mind, with the goal of improving outcomes, reducing ailment recurrence and complication rates, and making the procedures simpler, consistent, and reproducible.