Fraternal Order of Eagles Presents $630,000 in Grants During International Convention
SPOKANE, Wash., July 19 /PRNewswire/ — The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), from their Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund, Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund, Lew Reed Spinal Cord Injury Fund, Max Baer Heart Fund, and the Memorial Foundation’s Golden Eagle Fund, together have presented $630,000 to charities and organizations across the United States and Canada. The funds, which will support various efforts including research for new and more efficient ways to treat diseases, were presented this week as part of the 2007 Fraternal Order of Eagles International Convention in Spokane, Wash.
Eagle members in fifty states and five provinces worked year-round to raise funds for the annual Convention grants. “The donations presented at the Convention are a great way to celebrate a year of hard work,” said Bill Loffer, Fraternal Order of Eagles 2006-2007 Grand Worthy President. “The members raise money through a year’s worth of fundraising projects including special dances, dinners, raffles, and every day events.”
The Eagles, known for their philanthropy in many communities, donate nearly $100 million each year with the Convention grants culminating the fundraising efforts. “Our members raise money throughout the year for our major funds to be able to present grants at the convention, but we also provide money to organizations and families in need in all our communities throughout the year,” said Stephanie Smith, Fraternal Order of Eagles 2006- 2007 Grand Madam President.
Loffer and Smith spent their year as respective presidents of the Aerie members and Auxiliary members traveling each state and province to support fundraising and membership growth efforts. The Eagles, unlike many fraternal organizations, is experiencing growth in membership with a 21 percent growth rate during the 2006-2007 leadership year.
“The Eagles have a long-standing tradition of trying to make the world a better place and one way is through funding for medical research,” Loffer said. “Medical research provides cures for millions of people to benefit from and we’re honored to be a part of saving lives.”
The following hospitals and foundations are this year’s recipients of FOE medical research grants:
Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) (Calgary, Alberta) – The FOE Lew Reed Spinal Cord Injury Fund, has presented Alberta Children’s Hospital with a $60,000 grant. Opened September 27, 2006, ACH was the first free-standing pediatric facility to be built in Canada in more than 20 years.
Arkansas Cancer Research Center Foundation (ACRC) (Little Rock, Ark.) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the ACRC, the official cancer research and treatment institution in the state.
Blank Children’s Hospital (Des Moines, Iowa) – The FOE Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund has presented a $60,000 grant to BCH, the only civilian hospital built during World War II and now one of two hospitals in the state to train residents in pediatrics.
The University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center (Birmingham, Ala.) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund, has presented a $30,000 grant to the Center, which began in the 1960s when Alabama Governor Lurleen Wallace was diagnosed with cancer. In 1973, NCI designated the Center as one of the first eleven comprehensive centers in the country.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (New York, NY) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund has presented a $30,000 grant named after the legendary journalist and sportswriter, Damon Runyon. The foundation identifies and supports young scientists nationwide who are committed to discovering the causes and cures for cancer.
Home on the Range (HOTR) (Sentinel Butte, N.D.) – The FOE Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund has presented a $60,000 grant to Home on the Range, which provides service to children and families, leadership in the child care field, and conviction to make a healthier and stronger world, characterize the philosophy of Home On The Range.
Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine (Bar Harbor, Maine) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the laboratory, one of the leading research centers for genetic research.
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) (Norfolk, Va.) – The FOE Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to CHKD, the pediatric facility of choice in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. The hospital gives ongoing care for chronic diseases, outpatient surgery and primary care for children in the community by providing the staff, facilities and technologies to meet all the patient’s needs.
Menninger Foundation (Houston, Texas) – The FOE Memorial Foundation Golden Eagle Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the Menninger Clinic in Houston, which is known internationally for its innovative treatment, research and education of mental illnesses.
Missouri Heart Institute at Boone Hospital Center (Columbia, Mo.) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the Heart Institute. The institute has earned a reputation as mid-Missouri’s premier heart care center with the latest technology.
The Nebraska Boys Ranch (Alliance, Neb.) – The FOE Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to NBR, which teaches life skills to boys, making them productive and prosperous adults.
The National Jewish Medical and Research Center (Denver, Colo.) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the center, known worldwide for its treatment of patients with respiratory, immune and allergic disorders, as well as for groundbreaking medical research.
Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation (Orlando, Fla.) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the foundation, which offers the only Level One Trauma Center and the only Level Three Neonatal Unit in central Florida.
Schneck Medical Center Foundation (Seymour, Ind.) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the foundation, which has sponsored programs and services for the medical center and community.
St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation (Albany, N.Y.) – The FOE Art Ehrmann Cancer Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to St. Peter’s, founded in 1978 to provide a source of funding for capital improvements, technological advancements and program enhancements in the hospital.
Sutter Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) (Sacramento, Calif.) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $60,000 grant to SIMR, one of Northern California’s most highly-respected community hospital systems that allow patients to take part in national studies aimed at finding new and better ways to treat their conditions.
Harry S. Truman/Fraternal Order of Eagles Cardiology Medical Research Center (Kansas City, Mo.) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the center, which has a long and distinguished history of excellence in patient care, research and education.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.) – The FOE Max Baer Heart Fund has presented a $30,000 grant to the center, which has built a strong reputation in medical education, research and patient care throughout the southeast United States over the course of its 127-year history.
About the Fraternal Order of Eagles
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.
For media or local Fraternal Order of Eagles comment, please contact: Kim Miller Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations for the Fraternal Order of Eagles 614.397.8481 kim.miller@fahlgren.com Amanda Shirka Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations for the Fraternal Order of Eagles 614.327.1545 amanda.shirka@fahlgren.com
The Fraternal Order of Eagles
CONTACT: Kim Miller, +1-614-397-8481, kim.miller@fahlgren.com, AmandaShirka, +1-614-825-1545, amanda.shirka@fahlgren.com, both of Fahlgren MortinePublic Relations, for the Fraternal Order of Eagles
Web site: http://www.foe.com/