Seattle (July 17, 2009) —The Fraternal Order of Eagles has officially installed Mike Lagervall, Sr. of Seattle as Grand Worthy President of the 1.1 million member Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) organization. He was honored during the annual FOE International Grand Convention, held in Reno, NV this past week. Lagervall has served as a leader in the organization since becoming a member of the Ballard FOE #172 in 1968.
While serving his one-year term as Grand Worthy President, Lagervall, with his wife Martha, plans on traveling more than 260 days of the year to aeries and auxiliaries nationwide raising awareness of the organization and promoting the Eagles’ diabetes research center. Lagervall has two sons and two daughters – all Eagles members – and seven grandchildren.
“I am proud of the Eagles and to be serving as Grand Worthy President for such a dedicated organization,” said Lagervall. “The Eagles strive to fulfill their motto ‘People Helping People’, and I plan to do just that—help raise money for charities and organizations across the world and work with Eagle leadership and members to make this organization more vibrant and integral to the communities we serve.”
As Grand Worthy President, Lagervall’s major initiative will be to encourage members to raise funds for his presidential charity, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.
The Fraternal Order of Eagle are partnering with The University of Iowa in a five-year, $25 million fundraising project that will culminate with The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at The University of Iowa. The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center will be a dedicated center for diabetes research within the Institute for Biomedical Discovery Building at The University of Iowa. Money fundraised by the Fraternal Order of Eagles will go directly to medical research.
“As Grand Worthy President, I have a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the great work the Eagles are doing. The Diabetes Research Center will impact the lives of millions and millions of people while spreading the good news of the Eagles commitment to research and finding a cure.”
Lagervall has served the International FOE Grand Aerie, the Seattle State FOE and the local Ballard aerie #172 in many roles including: Ballard Aerie President, Washington State President, Pacific Northwest Region President and Grand Aerie Trustee. He also served as District Deputy four times and Grand Tribunal Chief Justice three times.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international non-profit organization, unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. Founded in 1898, the Eagles fund research in areas such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and cancer, and raise money for neglected and abused children and the aged, as well as work for social and civic change.