Hope Keeps Us Going Along
My name is Rich Palermo, and I am honored and humbled to be elected the first Log A Load For Kids® Foundation Chairman of the Board. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest gratitude to our past Chairwoman, Lisa Medici of Medici Logging, from Westwood, California, for her success in leading the Log A Load For Kids Advisory Group to its newly gained Foundation status.
Currently I am the Area Chairman of the Log A Load For Kids program working alongside the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. I have been a Procurement Forester with Greif Packaging LLC for the past 28 years. The support and encouragement from Greif, along with the loggers, foresters, sawmills, paper mills, equipment dealers, and all the other industry personnel that I’ve been associated with in my years with Log A Load are the reason why I continue to be so positive about what we all do for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The Log A Load For Kids Foundation will be among those attending the Children’s Miracle Network Celebration, to meet selected ambassadors from each of the United States and across Canada. The Celebration recognizes these remarkable children, who have triumphed despite severe medical challenges, for their courage and tenacity. Attending the CMN Hospitals Celebration has strengthened my commitment to making the Foundation a continued success. I encourage you, at least once, to attend this Celebration of life, healing, hope, and success . . . the miracles you all work so hard to help provide.
I’d like to share a personal highlight of my own, from a CMN Telethon at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital. At that event, ten of the kids from the patient rooms came down to the lobby and were photographed on the autographed Bruce Springsteen motorcycle. Each one of these pictures was sent to Bruce Springsteen, along with a thank you note.
One of those ten children was a boy, just eleven years old, who was an avid fan of Bruce’s. At that time, he was waiting for a heart transplant. As it happened, he lost his battle, and his life a few weeks later. When his Mom called me with the sad news— a phone call I’ll never forget—she also let me know that it was such a thrill for her child to know that his picture had been sent to Bruce. When I informed Bruce’s manager of this sad event, he immediately sent the family tickets and backstage passes to a local Bruce Springsteen show, with the hope of Bruce’s performing their child’s favorite tune: “Born In the USA.”
This child, along with millions of others, did not have time on his side. I want to encourage you to continue to do what you do so well to help grow our efforts, so that our most precious resource, our children, have the opportunity to be treated and cured and ultimately to survive.
Rich Palermo
Chair
Log A Load For Kids Foundation
Maine: 15th Annual Log A Load Golf Tournament
On Friday, September 16, American Forest Management cosponsored the 15th annual “Log-A-Load for Maine Kids” Golf Tournament and fundraiser at JATO Highlands, in Lincoln, Maine. The weather started off cold, but plenty of coffee and enthusiasm warmed up the participants to have a great day of golf and generosity. This year Maine forest product businesses, loggers, landowners, and foresters raised a record $57,004 for the Children’s Miracle Network, benefitting children’s hospitals in eastern, central, and northern Maine, surpassing last year’s (likewise recordbreaking) total by over $5,000. This tournament is extremely popular, as shown by the 152 golfers, as well as the 7 teams that were on the waiting list but could not play due to a full course.
At FRA’s October 6 Northeast Region Forestry Forum, AFM’s David Cole, along with Lara Wildman and Mark Kneeland, representing lead sponsors Nortrax/John Deere, presented the contribution check to Josh Scroggins, CMN Director in Eastern Maine.
Special thanks go to AFM’s David Cole and his team mates, Al Beeson, Debbie Bourgon, John Bryant, Kathy Dunbar, Dennis Goulet, Steve LeBlanc, Todd Massey, Scott Olson, Don Roeder and Steve Zagorianakos, who have consistently organized and sponsored this successful event over many years.
Arkansas: Pennington Honored for Fundraising Work
The Arkansas Forestry Association (AFA) recently honored Mike Pennington of Monticello with its first-ever Arkansas Log A Load For Kids® Volunteer Award at the group’s meeting in North Little Rock.
“Pennington is a stalwart of Arkansas Log A Load For Kids,” said AFA communications director Anna Swaim. Since the program began in Arkansas in 1993, Mike has been involved in both his local Drew County committee and the statewide campaign, and in that time, Log A Load For Kids has raised more than $5.4 million for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.” Photo shows Mike on the left, with AFA President Max Brasswell.
“When the Forest Resources Association and Arkansas Timber Producers Association began planning the first In-Woods Expo for April 2004, the committee wanted to include a Log A Load For Kids dinner and auction. Mike stepped forward to coordinate this new event with a group of seasoned volunteers. For each subsequent In-Woods Expo, Mike has held a Log A Load fundraiser,” said Swaim.
“Under his leadership, Drew County Log A Load was the first group to hold a successful statewide complimentary drawing for a vehicle. And each year, they decided to try something different. From a yellow Jeep to classic Corvettes, they always offer something new to whet donors’ appetites.”
“Over the years, he has attended countless campaign kickoffs, hospital tours, planning meetings, Children’s Miracle Network telethons and other events,” Swaim said. “If it has to do with Log A Load, you can count on Mike to be there, in every sense of the word.”
Kentucky Wood Expo Raises Log A Load Funds The Annual Silent Auction was held at the Kentucky Wood Expo to benefit the Log A Load For Kids® campaign along with other fundraising activities. All the activities from the show helped to raise over $2,000 to benefit the Kentucky’s Children’s Hospital in Lexington. Exhibitors and members from across the state donated items and assisted in the fundraising activities held. Donors included A Stitch in Time; Helen Thomas Adkins Art; John D. Brock Wood Turner; Bryan Equipment (Stihl); Diamond Forest Resources; Diamond Saw Works; David James, Domtar Paper Co.; Grandmothers Clock; Kentucky Hardwood Lumber; Lake’s Food & Crafts; and Brenda Lawson. Thanks to all for making miracles happen!
Virginia: Softball Tournament Raises over $10,000 On August 6, Virginia’s campaign held its Log A Load For Kids Annual Softball Tournament in Charlottesville. It was a good turnout, in spite of a one-hour rain delay. Rich Palermo did a great job putting the event together, and it drew in a total of $10,350. A big thanks to all the people who came together and made this event successful. Photo shows firstplace team Wharam’s Welding/NAPA Dillwyn.
Florida: Golf Tourney Raises over $28,000 Farm Credit and the Florida Forestry Association raised in excess of $28,000 for Shands Hospital for Children at the Tommy Usher Log-A-Load for Kids Golf Tournament in Chiefland, Florida. More than 100 golfers met at the Chiefland Golf & Country Club to participate in the event. Winning teams included:
• 1st Place Low Gross Team: Chiefland Team #2 (Tim Hart, Joe Brinkman, Mickey Windlan and Buddy Arendall)
• 2nd Place Low Gross Team: Usher Land & Timber (Eric Handley, Robert Hinds, Matt Munksgard and Clark Stressing)
• 1st Place Low Net Team: Knot Hole Timber (Del Swails, Aaron Dawson, Dwayne Kight and Anthony Boggess)
• 2nd Place Low Net Team: Suwannee Lumber Team #3 (Daniel Dickert, Chuck Morgan, Duane Driggers and Bart Denmark)
Other awards: “longest drive” - Leo Hoover; “closest to the pin” - Skipper Henderson; and “golf club winner” Monty Whitehurst.
The $28,000 total brings total contributions to more than $375,000 over the past 17 years.
The Tommy Usher Log-A-Load for Kids Committee would like to thank Chiefland and surrounding communities, and the forestry industry for their continued support in helping miracles happen at Shands Hospital for Children at UF.