AnnualReport2021

Hadi Shriners were happy to answer the call. “It means a lot if you can put a smile on someone’s face,” said Noble Randy Eades. “If you can’t give back, there’s not a whole lot of reason to be here.”

Moolah Shriners, St. Louis, Missouri

People in the St. Louis, Missouri, area celebrated their events and milestones in a new way this year: yard ballooning. "Since The Moolah Clowns’ usual parade antics were silenced by the pandemic, the unit came up with this innovative way to celebrate people in their community," said Moolah Shriners Potentate Russell Georgen. Residents could get in touch with the unit and the group would show up with festive balloon shapes to decorate the yard. Kazim Shriners, Roanoke, Virginia A patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville was disappointed that he couldn’t have a birthday party this year, so the Kazim Shriners stepped in and put together a huge parade in honor of his special day. The Shriners rallied dozens of people together to throw a birthday parade for Charli, a resident of Salem, Virginia. “Charli’s just special to us, so we wanted to celebrate his birthday today,” said Kazim Shriners Potentate Ed Barker. “He was a little upset that he couldn’t have a party, so I called our friends at the Shrine and asked them if they could put together a parade. And it turned into a humongous parade,” said Charli’s mom, Vanessa. Charli knew something was planned, but he had no idea that clowns, pirate ships, fire trucks, dozens of friends and others were going to show up at his house for the drive-by parade. Among the dozens of people who came to help were Shriners from Southwest Virginia, Salem and Vinton who wanted to celebrate this young boy. The parade certainly brought a smile to Charli’s face, and his family said the parade was the best birthday celebration ever.

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY PARTY Before the pandemic took hold, nobles and Shriners Hospitals for Children staff members were planning a very special birthday party. The coronavirus changed the celebration somewhat, but the joy of honoring Irene Hand Roberts remained. As a surprise for Roberts, Shriners Hospitals for Children patients and staff put together a video with well wishes and a message from the current Imperial Potentate, Jeff Sowder. Roberts, who resides in a senior living community in Helena, Montana, was also treated

to a pair of drive-by birthday parties. Family members shared the experience with her outside, and gifts and her favorite meals were delivered. These activities are all representative of our nobles’ commitment to the ideals of service and compassionate concern for others.

The impact that Shriners Hospitals for Children has reverberates through generations. The life of Irene Hand Roberts is a perfect example. Roberts is believed to be our oldest living Shriners Hospitals for Children patient. She was treated at the original Twin Cities hospital in Minnesota. In 2020, Roberts turned 103 years old.

2020-2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

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