The Massachusetts Bar Association hosted a press conference on
June 20 on behalf of a group of Boston Marathon bombing survivors
seeking a meaningful award from the One Fund Boston after
sustaining hearing loss and traumatic brain injury (TBI) more than
a year ago. The event, moderated by MBA President Douglas K. Sheff,
included survivors, TBI experts and representatives from the
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA).
The press conference came in response to the One Fund's call for
public comment on the draft protocol for the second distribution of
nearly $20 million in charitable funds. The MBA issued a formal
statement on the protocol and submitted a letter to the One Fund
from Sheff.
The Boston Globe also published a letter to the editor
co-written by Sheff and Paul White, chairman of the MBA's Marathon
Bombing Victims Assistance Program Boston, which addressed comments
made by a One Fund spokeswoman who, in an earlier Boston Globe
article, accused the marathon survivors' volunteer attorneys of
improperly taking advantage of the outpouring of support for their
own gain. The "Uncharitable view of Marathon survivors' attorneys
is unfair" letter ran in the June 26 Boston Globe.
In addition, on June 27, The One Fund released its Final
Protocol for the second distribution of funds. The MBA released the
following statement:
The One Fund's Final Protocol for the second distribution of
charitable funds is a welcome advancement for survivors of the
Boston Marathon bombings who suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI),
hearing loss and other invisible injuries. We are grateful that the
One Fund appears to have listened to our concerns and crafted its
protocol to be more inclusive of all survivors, including those
with invisible injuries who are now more expressly eligible for
cash gifts in addition to programmatic support. We are eager to see
what meaningful impact the final distribution has for these
survivors, and hope that the Final Protocol leads to more equitable
awards for all. As we did during the first One Fund distribution,
the Massachusetts Bar Association will again provide volunteer
lawyers to assist survivors free of charge with their questions and
legal needs related to this new application process.