Annual Report 2023-2024

building for the future: Doing More in ʼ 24 A MESSAGE FROM THE IMPERIAL POTENTATE What a wonderful year it has been! Lady JoLynn and I are so appreciative for the opportunity to serve as your Imperial Potentate and First Lady. It has meant so much to us to represent Shriners International and Shriners Children’s and to do our very best for them each day. The year was full of milestones that Lady JoLynn and I will never forget. Visiting temples and attending Shriners association meetings provided special opportunities to come together to share and provide information. Connecting with nobles and families is so meaningful to us. The Shriners fraternity is truly family! As our healthcare system steps into its next century of care, I am proud of our dedication to our vision of providing high-quality medical care for more kids, in more places, more conveniently and closer to their homes. Our U.S. locations are using technology and streamlining operations to expand their reach. Internationally, new collaborations are helping us reach more patients in Canada, and new clinic locations are making care easier to access in Mexico. I was privileged to attend outreach clinics in places including Cyprus, and seeing children from so many countries receive our special Shriners Children's care simply fills my heart. Speaking of patients, what an honor it has been to work alongside Gianna and Juan Diego, our incredible International Patient Ambassadors. What remarkable young people they are! They told their stories — and the story of Shriners Children’s — with generosity and eloquence, and Lady JoLynn and I could not be more inspired by them. We thank Gianna and Juan Diego and their families for the time and energy they devoted to our healthcare system this year.

We also want to thank everyone for their support of Women Impacting Care, spearheaded by Lady JoLynn with the theme Believe in Tomorrow. This program supported Shriners Children's efforts to enhance our approach and work as a system in helping patients as they age out of our pediatric healthcare system. Lady JoLynn and I are so proud to support the Young Adult Transition in Care program. Your gifts will help us strengthen these efforts and spread the word of the expertise and compassion that Shriners Children’s offers to patients and families as they approach this milestone. There’s never been a more wonderful time to be a Shriner. Our fun and fellowship can be found nowhere else. The philanthropy we support gives us meaning and allows us to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Looking back on this incredible year, I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the love, support and determination of my late wife, Cheryl. I am so grateful to her. And I’m grateful to Lady JoLynn for supporting me through this journey. As we welcome Imperial Sir Richard Burke and Lady Judy to their new roles of Imperial Potentate and First Lady, we wish them a wonderful, meaningful year. And we thank all of our nobles and ladies for their years of support, kindness, generosity and courtesy. Yours in the faith, James E. “Ed” Stolze Jr. Imperial Potentate, Shriners International

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