A Letter from the Chairman
November 14, 2008Dear Friends:
On behalf of each member of the board and personally, I congratulate and welcome Governor David A. Paterson, Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago and Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, all of the award recipients, members of the dais,supporters and friends.
It is a privilege to be in the company of so many heroes. You have pledged to protect our freedoms, which were won with the courage and blood of the fallen. You have put your families before us as you go in harms way. Our pledge is to always be there for you. I am proud to recognize my fellow board members, who have dedicated their resources and time away from their families to fulfill our mission, which is to provide a safety net for you and your families. I thank them for their guidance, support and commitment.
Every alternate year we honor the fallen and their families at a very special evening. This year, once again Zane Tankel and Charles Merinoff co-chaired Heroes Night. It truly was a special evening and we thank them.
Heroes’ Night, the Executive Education Program, and the scholarship program, the Wellness Center and aid to members of law enforcement and their families continue to be our primary events and programs. Some of the additional programs we have funded are anti-gang and crimestopper initiatives, medical support for the Secret Service, Big Brother/Big Sister programs for the D.E.A., F.B.I. and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District, CEO Day and grants to numerous fraternal organizations and widows and orphans funds.
A special thank you to Robert Rosen and his family. Bob serves as our treasurer, scholarship chairman and personally incurs the expense for his staff, who are responsible for those activities.
Howard P. Milstein and the Milstein family, noted philanthropists, have supported the foundation for many years. They incur the expense of staff and overhead, which allows the foundation to operate. As in the past their banks, New York Private Bank and Emigrant Savings Bank, graciously sponsored the reception for all of our guests. We thank him. We are fortunate to have so many supporters, particularly in these very difficult times and we thank them. On a personal note, these past twenty-one years have been very meaningful and I am deeply grateful for your support and the support of our board members for the opportunity to share them with you.
Thank you and may God Bless you.
With Kindest Regards. Very Truly Yours,Anthony Bergamo
Chairman