As I mentioned in my first letter, I have named the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes
Research Center as my charity for the coming year. I made this decision after some
soul searching since I lost my first wife, Shari, to cancer. I will always find
ways to support cancer research because finding a cure for cancer is so important
to me.
I decided to focus my efforts for the coming year on the Fraternal Order of Eagles
Diabetes Research Center because, like cancer, diabetes is a devastating disease
that affects so many individuals worldwide. As I started my travels, I witnessed
your passion for fundraising for the Center and your interest in helping to build
a facility that has a goal to find a cure for this debilitating and life-threatening
disease.
At the time of this writing, I have traveled to nine states and provinces and visited
dozens of aeries and auxiliaries. And, every location I have visited has handed
me a check for the Center. Thank for your enthusiasm and your commitment. It confirms
that fraternalism is on its way back—despite a bad economy. Everywhere I go, brothers
and sisters are reaching into their pockets to contribute to a great cause.
I also selected the Archives as my project for 2010. As you probably know, we are
seeking donations for our Eagle archive and museum facilities as part of our theme,
“Eagle Horsepower: Preserving Our Past While Riding Into Our Future.”
Few social and service organizations can claim such a long and illustrious history.
Rotary International, for example, was founded in 1905 and Kiwanis International
opened its doors 20 years later. The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded in 1898
and we have been helping people and improving lives ever since.
While our archives will provide records and firsthand information about the past,
we have a responsibility to continue to detail the recent past and the future. Just
as we are interested in the Eagles’ involvement with programs such as Social Security
and Jobs After 40, future generations will want to know why we decided to commit
$25 million to build a diabetes research facility. They will be interested in our
work to promote legislation that improves the lives of our fellow citizens, such
as universal healthcare for children.
As with any great organization, the history of the Fraternal Order of Eagles often
parallels that of our nation. We took the initiative to spearhead change when we
felt improvements were needed. In the coming years, we will continue to give leadership
to programs that will benefit large numbers of individuals in our society.
We are a living, thriving organization and although we have made significant contributions
in the past, we have much to do in the future. We will want to show generations
to come how we improved the quality of life for individuals within our countries
and around the world.