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Tiffany Circle Donors Gather in Washington, D.C.
Lansing, MI— Lillian Kumata and Susan Stewart, of East Lansing, and Nancy Elwood, of Okemos, joined by Terry Hickey from the Mid-Michigan Red Cross, attended a two-day summit on philanthropy and service at The American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C. These women are members of The American Red Cross Tiffany Circle Society of Women Leaders – a network of over 300 women who make a significant financial commitment annually to support local Red Cross chapters in their community.
The Tiffany Circle members who were not in attendance at the summit are Connie Donovan of Okemos, Barbara Raven, of Jackson, and Anne Cauley and Nancy Passanante of East Lansing. With their donations The Tiffany Circle members help ensure Red Cross chapters continue to have the ability to train volunteers to respond to disasters, help military families reach loved ones in an emergency, and enable chapters to teach individuals and families to prevent, prepare for and respond to everyday emergencies.
The Red Cross support of U.S. service members and their families was highlighted in the summit’s opening dinner and featured speakers Lt. General Kathleen Gainey and correspondent Kimberly Dozier.
The power of individuals to impact their communities and the world was heard in many women’s stories during the summit. Cathy Keating, former first lady of Oklahoma, described the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing. In the explosion’s aftermath, first responders were at the scene,
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| Some of the Mid-Michigan Chapter's Tiffany Circle members in front of the famous Tiffany windows at Red Cross headquarters in DC (from left): Nancy Elwood, Susan Stewart, Lillian Kumata, and Terry Hickey. |
risking their lives to save anyone they could. Keating mentioned being at the scene. She glanced around, and on the corner was the Red Cross, providing food, water and coffee to rescue workers, without any concern for their own safety. Now, Keating says, “I’m committed for life to the Red Cross.”
Elisabeth Rohm, actress and trained Red Cross volunteer, described how she started volunteering for the Red Cross by giving 100 hours of her time. “Your world becomes so much bigger when you’re a part of the Red Cross,” Rohm said. Her experiences include serving as an emergency volunteer in New York and volunteering at military hospitals in Washington area.
The summit closed on Monday evening with a reception and dinner at the Embassy of Italy, featuring remarks by journalist Judy Woodruff and a performance by vocalist Romina Arena.
Online information about the Tiffany Circle nation-wide society can be found here.
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