BU alumna climbing Bunker Hill Monument for Marathon victims

Boston University alumna Elena Barbera is putting her skills to use in a unique fundraising initiative for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Every day for 30 days, I am climbing the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown to raise money, specifically for the 14 victims of the attack who will now spend the rest of their lives as amputees,” Barbera, who graduated from the School of Hospitality Administration in 1997, said.

Barbera said she hopes to raise at least $1 per step, which totals to $8,820 in the 30 days. She is asking for donations from friends and family as well as the public that will go directly to victims, rather than through an organization.

She began her fundraiser April 23 and has raised about $1,600 as of Tuesday.

“Other than the obvious tragedy, their lives are going to change in so many ways,” Barbera said. “They are unable to work. Some of their family members that are helping to care for them right now are unable to work.”

The extra money will help to keep the 14 victims financially afloat, whether by helping them pay hospital bills or provide accommodations at home for the amputees, Barbera said.

“There are a lot of things that people don’t think of that they are going to have to pay for,” she said. “I just feel like this should not be an issue for them. If this is something small I could do every day, it’s absolutely worth it.”

For those who cannot donate, Barbera said she encourages them to join her on her walks. She has also arranged for City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina, of east Boston, Mass. Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and mayoral candidate John Connolly to accompany her in future climbs.

“People are really responding well and being truly supportive, ” she said.

Barbera, who has two amputees in her family and volunteers her time with wounded veterans, said she hopes to make people more aware of the drastic lifestyle changes amputees face.

“I just want people to know what a massive impact this kind of injury has on peoples’ lives,” she said. “… Other than the financial struggles I’ve mentioned, there’s major struggles with pain and painkillers and getting used to prosthetics. It can be all-consuming.”

Barbera’s sister Lisa Sapichino said Barbera was upset after the Marathon bombings and strove to develop a way to help victims.

“We happen to have two cousins that are amputees, and she felt that she would like to raise money for those people in particular,” Sapichino said. “In our family, we’ve seen how people suffer after losing a limb.”

Sapichino said her sister is a passionate individual who will likely surpass her fundraising goal.

“Elena is somebody who likes to help people, and this is something that hit close to home,” she said. “… She feels that this will make a difference.”

Although Barbera has not met any of the amputees in person, she said people should remember that the victims are no different from themselves.

“When you put a face to it, it’s not just 14 people,” she said. “It’s 14 regular people.”

Lisa Gosling, 44, a friend of Barbera’s, has committed to walking with her once a week for the remainder of the 30 days.

“I felt, ‘what can I do?’” she said. “It’s truly a time where you say, ‘I will never complain again about anything.’ It’s a time to step back and realize what you have. She just made a lot of us feel like that, that’s why we’re all trying to cheer her on and be there for her.”

Donations can be made via Barbera’s page on www.gofundme.com.

“The support that they’re getting from the community and the country is what is getting them through,” Barbera said. “I want to keep that going because on their worst days, that’s what’s going to give them the strength to keep trying.”