$10M given for burn center

Posted by Susan Daker, Staff Reporter December 27, 2007 3:40 PM

A Semmes woman bequeathed more than $10 million to the Shriners Hospital for Children to open a burn unit in Mobile, the group announced today.

Dorothy Morris, heir to her late-husband's vast timber estate, left the money to the charity when she died in March, said John Tyson Sr., a member of a local Shrine. Morris did not have any children and wanted to leave her money to the Shriners since her husband was a member.

Plans for the center are still in flux, Tyson said in making the announcement at Government Plaza in downtown Mobile, where his son works as Mobile County's district attorney.

So far the idea is to open a Shriners-operated burn treatment center for children at the University of South Alabama Medical Center, Tyson said. The Shriners unit would be in addition to the regional burn center USA presently operates, Tyson said.

Shriners hospitals are located across the country and specialize in orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care. They provide free medical care to children, through donations. The organization does not take government grants, Tyson said.

The proposed burn center still needs approval from USA and officials on the national level of the Shriners organization, which is based in Tampa, Fla., Tyson said. Tyson said he will meet with both soon.

Haake buys California agency

Thursday, December 27, 2007 - 1:07 PM CST Kansas City Business Journal

Haake Cos. announced Thursday that it has acquired Thompkins & co. a California property and casualty insurance provider for an undisclosed amount.

Thompkins & Co., based in Alameda, Calif., specializes in property and casualty insurance for Masonic lodges and shrines. The program is available in all 50 states.

Thompkins has about nine employees who now work for Kansas City-based Haake Cos.

Haake CEO Jeff Cox said the man who established the Masonic insurance program at Thompkins died a few years ago. About 95 percent of the firm was owned by his wife, who wasn't very active in the business.

"So they really needed somebody who had experience running an agency to take it over," Cox said. "Mostly, it was just an opportunity to pick up a business that we understood and saw an opportunity to grow."

Cox said Thompkins wrote nearly a third of the premium available in the whole Masonic insurance area. He said Haake can double that in the next three to five years.

"A program like this has a lot of affinity with members," Cox said. "You get to design coverages that are unique. If you do a great job with them, they have a longer longevity and are less susceptible to competition than just one-off businesses."

Tom Klug, Haake managing director, will oversee the business development and expansion of the Thompkins Masonic Insurance Program from the Haake office in Kansas City.

The company has brought in people who had books of business, Cox said, but as far as he is aware, Haake never acquired a company before.

"This is an opportunity for Haake to get into more program business," Cox said. "We'll continue to look for these niche plays that we feel have something unique or different about them and provide a better opportunity than just opening a retail office in California."

Haake Cos. ranks fourth on the Kansas City Business Journal's list of Top Area Independent Insurance Agencies, based on property and casualty premium volume

RACERS WHO CARE AT SHC/LA

DEC.21'07 1:30PM
Racer Who Care spokesracer, champion National Hot Rod Association
speedster, Fast Jack Beckman, will share his personalized Quick Tips on
Winning in Life, based on his own life/career experiences, with young
patients at Shriners Hospital for Children,Los Angeles.

A cancer survivor, Beckman won the National Hot Rod Association's
Division 7,Person of the Year award for the 2004 racing season
during which he was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Beckman currently races the Don Schumacher Racing Mail Terminal
Services Dodge Charger R/T Fuel Funny Car. Presently, Chief
Instructor at Pomona?s Frank Hawley NHRA Drag Racing School, he has
taught nearly 6,500 racing students. His fastest speed is 333.33 mph.
Beckman was 2003 NHRA Super Comp Champion.

Toys stolen from Shriners kids

Toys stolen from Shriners kids
Reported by: Buddy Blankenfeld NBC4 Uath


A smash and grab thief has taken Christmas away from some sick children. Bags of toys on their way to Shriners Hospital were stolen. It happened early Wednesday morning in a Holladay neighborhood, the result of weeks of collecting donated toys from generous people—Gone!

“The first thing I thought of were the kids,” said Jeff Crockett. Crockett’s office at Henderson Wheel & Warehouse is packed with bags of toys, they represent weeks of hard work from the company’s 18 independent auto repair shops, from Springville to Logan, and their generous customers who gave. “They can barely afford to fix cars yet they are bringing in toys for these kids,” said Pyle Wheel & Brake owner, Brett Finklea. Now a good portion of those toys are in the hands of a thief. “Some were in bags that said they were going to Shriners Childrens Hospital so as they were taking these toys and seeing… they knew they were going there.”

“These children are in the hospital for Christmas, worst time of the year to be in the hospital, we were excited to give them a toy and they were stolen,” Jeff Crockett said. Five to six bags of toys were taken from Crockett's car after he made a collection run last night. He says normally the toys are brought inside but it was raining. “I got lazy so I just pushed them all down made sure you couldn't see any toys,” he said.
Crockett’s car was part of a rash of smash-n-grabs in his neighborhood. “I woke up and they were all gone,” he said. All that was left were shards of glass from Crockett’s rear window. “I just feel bad. It would be like going to the hospital and stealing something from a little boy in the hospital.” The theft has left Henderson Wheel and Warehouse short of its goal. “We're hoping we can find a way to replace them so we can give some kids a merry Christmas,” he said. Toys, clothes and games are needed, anything for a child one to 18 years old.

For drop-off locations to one of Henderson’s 18 independent auto repair shops go to: http://www.800autotalk.com/ or call Jeff Crockett at: 486-4916. They will be accepting toys until the end of December.

Helping Others: Upcoming events

Helping Others: Upcoming events
By Gloria Glyer -Sac.Bee
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 20, 2007
Story appeared in SCENE section, Page E3


Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California. The Sacramento Debutante Gala will be from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Del Paso Country Club. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Shriners hospitals. Community service remains a major goal of the honorees, who have participated in two parties for the patients. At the "unbirthday party," which was held for family members as well as patients, the debutantes dressed as characters from "Alice in Wonderland." The second party was Christmas in July for all the patients.

The gala is a multigenerational holiday party attended by the honorees, their families and friends. This year's debutantes are Alexandra DeMartini-Anapolsky, Courtney Ankrim, Makinzie Clark, Grace Gardner, Dianna George, Dana Graves, Anastasia Hardin, Nicole Hoffelt, Megan Ingemanson, Courtney Jensen, Alanna Jonsson, Katie Anne Mills, Annie Mowlds, Holly Newell, Camille Niello, Alexandra Russo and Stephanie Street.

Pedaling for Presents

(Photo By Pico Van Houtryve/THE PRESS-TRIBUNE) Mike Brown of Granite Bay navigates his way through the toys he collected in response his 400-mile trek to his Los Angeles office.With contributions still coming in, the WALK for charity has netted more than $5,000 and lots of toys and other items for the hospitalized youngsters.


Pedaling for presents
Granite Bay man takes 400-mile bike ride for charity

By: Bob Magnetti, The Press-Tribune www.granitebaypt.com/articles/2007/12/15/news/top_stories/04brown.txt
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

For Granite Bay resident Mike Brown, 2007 was a landmark year - one in which he celebrated his 50th birthday, his 25th wedding anniversary and took a long walk-bike ride to his office for charity.

That last event might not seem memorable, but Brown's office is located about 400 miles away - just north of Los Angeles.

"I woke up Monday morning (Nov. 19) and felt I had to do something," Brown said of his spontaneous decision. "I told my wife, Patti, that I was going to walk to the office. She thought I was crazy, but she knows that when I decide to do something, I do it. So she went along (with the idea)."

The goal was to raise funds for the UC Davis Children's Hospital, affiliated with the Children's Miracle Network, and the Northern California Shriners Hospitals for Children.

"I'm the type of person that feeds off the giving," Brown said. "I'm a feel-good person and just needed to do something (to help others)."

"It's just tremendous, what's he's done," said Catherine Curran, public information officer for the Shriners Hospitals. "He has raised a tremendous amount of public awareness. Mike Brown just epitomizes the spirit of giving."

Brown's company, PAX, make labels and tags for apparel. A native of Chicago, he came to California in 1980 and settled in Los Angeles, where he was working as sales manager for the Los Angeles Clippers pro basketball team.

Brown and his family moved to Granite Bay a little more than six years ago. The couple has three daughters, Heather, 24, Courtney, 18, and Mackenzie, 7.

Starting off on his long trek, Brown took nothing with him but the clothes he was wearing. Walking out of Granite Bay, Brown spotted a shiny quarter along the street and picked it up, vowing to turn over all the coins found along the way as part of his contribution. The pennies and nickels found outside of Granite Bay amounted to $1.19. "I took nothing with me. I adjusted as I went. I didn't even have good walking shoes," he said. Making his way to Elk Grove on the first day, he found his feet were so blistered and sore and swollen, he knew there was no way he could continue walking.

Brown stopped in a small coffee shop and told some of the customers of his journey. A waitress there commented she had planned a similar journey by bicycle with a church group, but never made it.

"It was like a light going off," Brown said. "I asked where I could by a bike and they sent me to a nearby Wal-Mart. I saw a Schwin bike hanging there and said, 'That's the one; that's the one I want.

"I also went and bought a change of clothes, good walking shoes and lots and lots of Epsom Salts for my sore feet," he said.

Naming his journey WALK - We All Love Kids - Brown experienced the "real" people of California as his route along country roads paralleled Highway 99.

"I rode about 500 miles to travel 400 miles," he said.

"Going through all those little towns," Brown said, "gives you a whole new outlook on people."

He cited the kindliness of the many people with whom he came in contact on his journey.

His first flat tire - one of four along the way - came outside of Lodi. The bike shop, when they found out the reason for the ride, fixed the tire for free. The next day was Thanksgiving, and Brown's family joined him for dinner at a fine restaurant. That made the day a very special one.

A second flat near Turlock necessitated a taxi ride back to Modesto at a cost to Brown of $37 dollars, paid up front. On the trip back, Brown told his story to the driver and when they reached their Turlock destination, the driver said, "Just give me $10 for the gas." A woman in Fresno saw Brown stop and pick up a penny from along the roadside, called him over to her car parked in front of a church.

After hearing of his journey, she gave him money, took his hands and said, "Would you pray with me?"

"That was easily a 10- or 15-minute prayer," Brown said.

One of the most emotional moments along the way came when Brown met a grandmother who had tried for months to get help for her seriously ill granddaughter, only to be turned away by the public agencies.

Brown contacted UCD Children's Hospital and that evening received a call back from the hospital, saying "Don't worry. We're working on it." And they took care of it, he said.

The hotel in Merced in which Brown was staying raised $21 from guests just by putting a collection can in the lobby overnight.

The worst part of the trip - dogs - came between Chowchilla and Delano.

"There's nothing but isolated farms along there," Brown said. "The dogs just seem to line up along the road. You spot a dog coming out of a yard, you just peddle as fast as you can."

Brown's journey ended at his office on Dec. 3, as his staff had a big spread waiting for him.

Even his youngest daughter, Mackenzie, got into the act. She approached Peter Towne, principal at her Greenhills Elementary School, to allow a booth outside the entry to a school function. The booth for charity raised $165.

Brown, an avid Chicago Bears and White Sox fan, said he won't do another bike ride again, but would like to do something creative annually. Brown's newest endeavor is Capitol Dawg, an old-fashioned hot dog stand in midtown Sacramento that will open soon.

Shriner's Promise Fulfilled

Las Vegas Shriner’s Promise to the Children of Shriners Hospital is Fulfilled by his Widow

Los Angeles, CA – December 2007 –
Ralph Rickhoff, a member of the Zelzah Shrine Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, would come into the High Maintenance Sports Pub every week with one goal in mind. He wanted to win the big screen television set that was being raffled off and donate it to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Los Angeles.
The drawing was held in early November, but unfortunately, Ralph was not there to see it.
He had quietly passed away the week before. When she heard the news, bar owner Becky White thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Ralph’s name was drawn and we could fulfill his last wish.”
Well, in Las Vegas dreams come true and when the winning ticket was pulled, sure enough, it had Ralph Richoff’s name on it.

His widow Vivian Rickhoff immediately called William “Swannie” Swenson, Potentate of the Zelzah Shrine Center to inform him of the good news. “She was so excited, I couldn’t even understand what she was saying!” says Swannie. After finally making sense of her call, Swannie quickly arranged for a hospital van to drive out to Los Angeles to deliver the television.
Upon hearing the news, Becky White and her husband Artie decided that they needed to pitch in as well. In addition to the television, they also provided a DVD player and several boxes of movies for the children at the hospital.

The trip from Las Vegas occurred on December 12th. Accompanying the donations were Vivian Rickhoff, Becky White and her parents, “Swannie” Swenson and members of the Divan from the Zelzah Shrine Center. They were warmly welcomed by hospital administrator Terry Cunningham who said, “This donation is a great addition to the hospital. It will be placed in our outpatient department waiting area so that all of our patients and family members can enjoy.”
As they left to go home, the new television was already hooked up and showing one of the videos brought from Las Vegas. Surrounding the show were several hospital patients with eyes frimly glued to the TV.