Federated Insurance chairman, president and CEO Al Annexstad and his wife Cathy were among five individuals honored recently by the Starkey Hearing Foundation for their significant contributions to humanity.
The honor was presented to the Annexstads at the foundation's seventh annual "So the World May Hear" fund-raiser, held on June 23 at the RiverCentre in St. Paul. The gathering, one of country's largest and most prestigious fund-raising events, raised a record-breaking $4.5 million.
Emcee Jay Leno, host of NBC's Tonight Show, headlined a star-studded cast of performers that included Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts Band, gospel great Jaime Thietten, Glenn Frey of the Eagles, and Kenny Loggins.
Other honorees at the fund-raiser were former United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koopm Baseball Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda and Academy Award-winning actress Goldie Hawn. Previous honorees include the Rev. Billy Graham, Walter Cronkite, Willie Mays and Minnesota's Glen Taylor and Carl Pohlad.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty introduced the Annexstads to a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 1,800 people. The governor spoke about Minnesota's longstanding culture of caring and to Al and Cathy Annexstad's contributions to the cause of youth mentoring.
Over the past several years the Annexstads have led the effort to raise several million dollars in support of the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's oldest and largest youth mentoring organization. As a result of their work, thousands of at-risk children have the benefit of having caring and principled adult role models in their lives.
Additionally, in recent years, the Annexstads and their daughter Patti and son Tom established a family foundation to provide college scholarships to deserving young people who have been served by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.
Today, the Annexstad Family Foundation Scholarship Program has helped provide more that 50 young people the opportunity to attend some of Minnesota's and the nation's finest colleges and universities, among them Gustavus Adolphus College, the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University Mankato, Notre Dame, New York University and most recently Harvard University.
In accepting this prestigious honor, Cathy Annexstad said, "Like Tani and Bill Austin, Al and I consider our work with children in need to be an honor and a privilege. So many of the children whom we are trying to help face adversities that we can only imagine. But given a chance, many of these kids can have happy, productive lives."
Al Annexstad added, "We are reminded that we are all bound together by a single purpose: When we help a child, we are building a brighter future for us all. But Cathy and I realize in our efforts to help kids that we cannot do this important work alone. This is why we are sincerely grateful to many terrific people, among them our daughter Patti and our son Tom, the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization here in Minnesota, the participating colleges and universities in our scholarship program, and very importantly, our Federated employees and their families who have embraced this effort to reach out to kids in need."
Founded in Minneapolis in 1973 by William F. Austin, the Starkey Hearing Foundation is known for traveling the world and donating hearing aids to underprivileged children. Today, under Bill and Tani Austin's leadership, the foundation is sustained by the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors around the world.
Because of funds raised during this annual event, the Foundation has been able to donate an estimated 200,000 hearing aids in the past seven years alone in an effort to give the gift of hearing to those in need in countries stretching from the U.S. to Vietnam. This year's event will lead to new missions in Africa, India, Mexico, and Turkey.
Additional attendees included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Peter Alexander, Scott Carpenter, Norm Crosby, Robert Culp, Lou Ferrigno, Peter Marshall, Marlee Matlin, Sam Moore, Leslie Nielsen, Arnold Palmer, Mickey Rooney, Jane Seymour, Barbara Sinatra, Kevin Sorbo, Robert Wagner and Paul Williams.
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