T. Boone Pickens Foundation Donates $1.1 Million to Fisher House Program in San Diego

T. Boone Pickens Foundation Donates $1.1 Million to Fisher House Program in San Diego

Earth Times

By T. Boone Pickens Foundation

06.26.07

The T. Boone Pickens Foundation, the charitable organization of oil and gas industry leader and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, today announced a $1.1 million donation to the Fisher House project in San Diego, California.

"We try to concentrate foundation awards to programs that make a difference," said Pickens, who announced the gift with his wife Madeleine, at groundbreaking ceremonies today at the San Diego Naval Medical Center. "The Fisher House project directly improves the lives of those who have sacrificed in service to this great country."

The Fisher House Foundation program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program meets a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, the Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times -- during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

The foundation has constructed 38 Fisher Houses across the nation and overseas in Germany. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families, and have made available more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.

T. Boone Pickens Foundation donation will help complete construction of a second Fisher House on the grounds of the San Diego Naval Medical Center.

"Because the San Diego Naval Medical Center continues to care for combat casualties, and the existing Fisher House can accommodate only eight families, the Fisher House Foundation is building a second structure, with eleven living suites, to ensure America's heroes can have their families with them as they recover from their wounds or injuries," said foundation chairman Ken Fisher. "The need is there, and we are responding to it. We are grateful to the organizations whose donations enable us to build this new Fisher House."

Pickens' wife, Madeleine, is a longtime San Diego resident. She hosts a number of events for active and retired veterans, including an annual Marine Ball at the Del Mar Country Club, which she owns.

Pickens previously donated $600,000 donation to a fundraising drive to build a $2.5 million Fisher House near the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Texas facility will include 21 suites, a communal kitchen and laundry facilities for families of military veterans receiving aid at the Dallas VA hospital.

"Recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as being among the nation's most generous philanthropists for two years in a row, Pickens is quickly establishing a legacy of noteworthy giving: his 2005 gift of $165 million to his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, is the single largest gift for athletics in NCAA history, and the $7 million donation to the American Red Cross in 2005 is the largest individual contribution in the 150-year history of that organization.

About the Fisher House Program: The Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of 38 comfort homes the grounds of military and VA major medical centers. The houses are 5,000 to 16,000 square feet, with up to 21 suites, donated to the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs by the Fisher House Foundation. The foundation provides support to families of patients receiving care at the nearby medical center and has ensured that families of service men and women wounded or injured in Operation Enduring Freedom do not pay for their stay at Fisher House or other base facilities if they are on a waiting list. For more information on the work of the Fisher House Foundation, visit their website or call toll-free 888-294-8560.

About T. Boone Pickens Foundation: The Dallas-based T. Boone Pickens Foundation improves lives through grants supporting educational programs, medical research, athletics and corporate wellness, at-risk youth, the entrepreneurial process and conservation and wildlife initiatives.