Fisher House Director Francisco Cruz receives a donation check in the amount of $39,168 from Derek Nelson (right), an official with the InterContinental Hotels Group, Spc. Jason Jordan "You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others."
These words, spoken by the late Scottish evangelist, Henry Drummond, describe acts of charity among the most important things one can do in their lifetime.
That practice of benevolent giving and caring was displayed to the Fort Gordon Community Dec. 8, when the Lend Lease group — which owns the InterContinental Hotels Group — donated over $39,000 to the Fisher House.
Lend Lease is a leading and fully integrated international property and infrastructure group that was founded on strong moral and business core beliefs. It employs more than 17,000 people around the world and has more than 50 years of experience managing an extensive portfolio of assets.
"Companies must start justifying their worth to society, with greater emphasis placed on environmental and social impact rather than straight economics," said Dick Dusseldorp, Founder of Lend Lease.
It is that same approach to business that also fuels the group's charity efforts, which include the Fisher House and the Wounded Warrior Project, among literally hundreds of others.
"We are very fortunate at this group to be afforded the opportunity to work so closely with the military and their Families, because many of our employees were previously employed by or associated with the military themselves," said Kate Alger, Lend Lease Development Manager, Nashville, Tenn. "I was an Army wife for years and my brother is a Wounded Warrior. You can hear many similar stories throughout the company."
The Fisher House was also a perfect partner for the group, for it provides the same accommodations and amenities that Lend Lease offers with its hotels, but on a non-profit level, Alger continued.
In order to raise the money, the group got creative when conducting renovations that required a replacement of all flat screen televisions in some hotels. Rather than just get rid of them, the group decided to sell them all at a greatly reduced price. Soldiers and their Families were offered the TVs first: high definition flat screens for $75 each. The total sum gathered for the Fisher House Donation was $39,168.
" We want America's heroes and their Families to understand that they are appreciated and that there are those out there eager to offer support as a way to say thank you for their sacrifices," Alger said. "To be honest, when we walk away after having helped our servicemembers, we are just as emotionally affected as those who received aid."
