A community fundraising event is being held Sunday evening for the sled hockey team that 10-year-old Cooper Roberts, who was paralyzed in the Highland Park mass shooting, is a member of.
Roberts is a member of the Hornets Sled Hockey team, which consists of children with physical disabilities.
“As almost all individuals do, they want the opportunity to participate in sports and feel the camaraderie of being part of a team. In some cases it’s not even to play hockey; for some, it is their only freedom outside a wheelchair or walker,” the organization said.
The team was started in 2003 by a former hockey player who suffered a catastrophic injury during a hockey game.
The Chicagoland area ice hockey team is playing against the Highland Park High School Varsity and JV Hockey teams on Sunday. Both teams will be on sleds.
Tickets for the event, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Centennial Ice Area in Highland Park, went on sale earlier this month.
The tickets have since sold out but donations are still being accepted on the team’s Eventbrite webpage.
100% of the profits are going directly to the Hornets Sled Hockey team.
A dining fundraising was held earlier this month at Backyard Grill in Highland Park. The restaurant donated 20% of the proceeds to the Hornets.
Roberts, who was eight years old at the time, suffered a gunshot wound that left his spinal cord severed during the July 4, 2022, mass shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.
Seven people were killed and dozens of others were shot. Over 80 rounds were fired by the gunman into the parade crowd.
Roberts’ injuries led to him being permanently paralyzed and requiring the use of a wheelchair.
The boy was discharged from the hospital in late July 2022 and transferred to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
He participated in physical and occupational therapy to help him regain mobility and strength.
Roberts was discharged from the facility and later returned to school in October 2022 where he entered the third grade.