All Pride, No Ego

6May We Leave Our Corner of the World a Better Place than We Found It

I was raised in a family of philanthropists, volunteers, political activists, and people who wanted to make a difference. I really did not realize that until I was in my 40s and was starting to give back my personal time, talent, treasure, and testimony to foundations and causes that brought out my passion. My grandfather, father, and uncles were all Shriners, proud members of the Zenobia Shrine in Toledo, Ohio. They all participated in a variety of subgroups within that organization; I always saw the social aspect of the membership, but I underestimated the amount of money they raised for children's hospitals. My mother was the consummate involved school parent, volunteering for everything she could, and serving as an officer in the Mother's Club. Both of my parents were involved in leadership roles in our boat club, our neighborhood association, and various Toledo‐based fundraising initiatives.

From an early age, we had the “clean out the toy closet” ritual in preparation for every Christmas and Santa's arrival. My sister and I were taught to appreciate what we had, and to always realize there were other people less fortunate than we were. That moral lesson ran deep in my family on both sides. My favorite aunt and godmother, Aunt Pat, and her family were the wealthy relatives in our family. I remember going to their beautiful house for the key holidays, and even there, we would collect food for shelters ...