Emily Progin, Content Manager
[email protected] / 800.642.8399
Release: Immediate
MAY 23: 5TH ANNUAL RALLY FOR REBECCA 5K SPARKS HELP & HOPE
$1 Million Raised to Help Rebecca Koltun in 5 Years Since Paralyzing Injury
PLAINVIEW, N.Y.—On May 23, 2026, the community will gather to walk, run, roll, and enjoy the 5th Annual Rally for Rebecca 5K Walk-Run-Roll and Fun Run at Plainview Old Bethpage Middle School. Supported by the Plainview Water District and Family Bagels as well as enthusiastic volunteers, the event will raise critical funds for the nonprofit Help Hope Live in honor of Rebecca Koltun.
26-year-old Rebecca has been living with paralysis from the neck down since a life-altering 2021 skiing accident. Her medical costs exceed $200,000 per year.
Rally for Rebecca 5K Details
When: Saturday, May 23, 2026
- 8 a.m. Fun Run start
- 8:30 a.m. 5K start
Where: Plainview Old Bethpage Middle School at 121 Central Park Drive, Plainview, NY, 11803
What: 5th Annual Rally for Rebecca 5K Walk-Run-Roll and Fun Run plus 50/50 raffle (bring cash or Venmo). Awards for top finishers and largest team. Medals for all Fun Run participants. Downloadable finish line & other photos. Virtual option available.
Cause: National nonprofitHelp Hope Live in honor of Rebecca Koltun, Plainview 26-year-old living with quadriplegia since a life-altering 2021 skiing injury.
Cost: Adults: $45 ($50 on race day); Fun run (children under 12 yrs old): $19; Students and Wheelchairs: $35 ($40 on race day)
Register: https://events.elitefeats.com/26rebecca
Can’t Make It? Donate: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/18533/
Rebecca’s Story
Healthy, vibrant, and athletic 21-year-old Rebecca Koltun was about to graduate college when a skiing accident left her with paralysis from the neck down.
The spinal cord injury forced Rebecca and her family to navigate the overwhelming physical, mental, medical, and financial challenges of life with quadriplegia—but thanks to the Plainview community, they didn’t have to face these challenges alone.
Rebecca’s family was referred through the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to Help Hope Live, a national nonprofit that supports trusted, community-led medical fundraising. The fundraising campaign in Rebecca’s honor kicked off just 1 week after her injury and the Koltun family received an immediate outpouring of support.
To date, the campaign has surpassed $1 million raised in Rebecca’s honor.
Fueled by the financial help and hope the community has provided, Rebecca lives a full life 5 years after injury that includes traveling, painting and selling landscapes, working part-time in graphic design and marketing, volunteering to teach other people with disabilities how to use adaptive technology, and plenty of music and reading. She is routinely invited to speak at medical schools and at PT, OT, & Speech graduate programs to educate medical professionals on treating patients with paralysis.
The impact of Rebecca’s story has expanded far beyond her Plainview community, engaging supporters internationally. Rebecca educates 350,000+ social media followers on life with paralysis. With over 20.5 million likes, the handle of Rebecca’s popular TikTok account gives a glimpse of the dark humor and personality Rebecca brings to her social presence: @NotParalyzedJustLazy
Rebecca has made significant strides in the past 5 years. With the use of a revolutionary exoskeleton device, she’s even walked more than 1,000 steps in rehabilitation. But donations remain a necessity for a healthy and independent life.
“The cost of her medical care is staggering,” explained 5K organizers. “She requires around-the-clock nursing care, therapies, customized equipment, an accessible van, and more, which approaches $200,000 to $300,000 per year out of pocket for a lifetime.”
While receiving support herself, Rebecca has become a dedicated client Ambassador for Help Hope Live, helping other families to find medical fundraising help in their own times of need.
“If I’m going to go through all this pain and suffering, it may as well make an impact on people, Rebecca explained to Newsday in a 2026 interview. “Something positive should come of it.”
Donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be administered by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $194 million to pay patient expenses, assisting more than 25,000 patient families. ###
