When Rob Balnis had a stroke while driving to his office at East End Physical Therapy in late August and his car hit a tree, he was abruptly placed on a trajectory he had helped countless patients navigate over his 25-year career as a physical therapist — this time as a patient himself.
His friends and family quickly started to receive inquiries from across the community about what they could do to help. A GoFundMe page, launched in September to help cover his medical expenses, has since raised over $65,000. Close friends and family members have also organized an in-person benefit, “Rally for Rob,” which will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Clubhouse in Wainscott.
“Rob and his family have touched so many people over the years that when word spread, everyone wanted to do something to help,” said Chris Carney, a longtime friend and part of the group at the helm of the fund-raiser. “Eventually, we came around to the idea of doing the benefit. The Balnises were involved in, like, every civic and community event, and would be the first ones to volunteer for something like this, so it’s really just been a way of allowing the community that Rob and his family have supported for so long to give back to them.”
Mr. Carney first heard that Mr. Balnis had been in a serious car accident, and been airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, while driving from a softball game to his office to retrieve a pair of crutches for an injured player. He later learned about the stroke, which would require much more extensive — and costly — treatment.
Mr. Balnis remained in the hospital for weeks. Once stabilized, he was admitted to an inpatient program at the Rusk Institute in Manhattan, which specializes in stroke recovery. He is now back home in Springs, and continuing to work toward relearning the skills required of everyday life.
“His mindset is one of a physical therapist,” said Elise Carney, Mr. Carney’s wife. “So now he’s a patient, but he knew from the start what he had to do, and it’s just been so amazing to watch him with his strength and will and the want to get better.”
Ms. Carney and Mr. Balnis worked together at East End Physical Therapy in the late ‘90s, when his late father, Rich Balnis, was running it, and she recalled watching her friend in the days after the accident, moving his left arm with his right — knowing from his work with patients that the sooner he started the rehabilitation process, the better his chances would be of making a full recovery.
“Robbie’s got such a community from growing up here, and now his kids are in the schools, and his wife is a teacher, so it just branched out,” she continued. “And the amount of people he’s helped in that office, it just grows and grows. So we just thought, let’s pick a date and start getting the wheels turning on this idea, and it has snowballed into this amazing event” — an opportunity, she said, to “get behind the Balnises and show them how much we love them.”
Jeff Tupper, also an organizer, recalled meeting Mr. Balnis about 15 years ago through his wife, Erin, who grew up with the Balnis family. “He’s just got the most infectious, positive personality, and he’s always making everyone laugh. There’s never been a time I’ve been around him, ever, that he hasn’t been laughing and in a good mood,” Mr. Tupper said. “And his ability to help people quietly does not go unnoticed, whether it be someone elderly that he’s giving P.T. to, or a kid who’s injured at a local soccer or Little League game. Just off in the corner, making sure everyone’s always taken care of. And now, it’s our time to take care of him.”
The simple show of support they initially had in mind has morphed over the last few weeks into what Mr. Carney anticipates may be “the social event of the fall.” Local businesses have donated a
wide array of goods and experiences, from gift certificates to restaurant meals, a flat-screen TV, and a bicycle from Khanh Sports to golf club outings, an oceanfront getaway at the Montauk Blue Hotel, and tickets to the N.C.A.A. Final Four game.
Attendees will be able to bid on many of the items in a “chance” auction, with the winner of each prize selected at random. The bigger-ticket items will be included in a silent auction. There will also be a 50-50 raffle, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and live music, with the Ohio State football game playing on all the TVs (Mr. Balnis is a “huge fan” of the team).
A suggested donation of $20 can be made in cash at the door, or by scanning a QR code to donate to the GoFundMe page, though nobody will be turned away if unable to pay. Organizers are trying to work out a way to accept credit cards at the venue but have encouraged everyone to bring cash, and all funds raised on the night and through the GoFundMe page will go directly to Mr. Balnis and his family.
“The irony is that Rob has been in that physical therapy office for probably 25 years, and he’s been able to help so many people, and now he’s on the other side of it,” Mr. Carney said. “But one of the things he mentioned, when I was speaking to him, was that this whole process is going to make him better at his job, because he’s going to be able to understand what it’s like on the other side — what people are going through, and the empathy that’s involved. So, he’s very much looking forward.”
