The 15th Annual Circle of Friends (COF) Gala was held on April 21, 2011 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. This event recognizes donors of Meharry Medical College who make annual contributions of $1,000 or more. Rodney Dunigan, education reporter at WTVF NewsChannel 5, served as the master of ceremony for the milestone occasion. The evening culminated with the presentation of the College’s most prestigious, non-academic honor, The Meharry Salt Wagon Award, presented to Mrs. Jane Eskind. As one of the founding members of COF, Mrs. Eskind was recognized for her commitment to Meharry and her selfless acts of kindness over the years. Mrs. Eskind has attended each Circle of Friends event.
The Meharry COF was established in 1996 as a catalyst to solicit annual support from individuals in the Nashville community, which would serve as a base for a pool of prospects to The Campaign for Meharry. Dr. Randall M. Falk, Rabbi Emeritus of The Temple in Nashville, and recently retired trustee emeritus of Meharry’s board of trustees, was the key visionary who helped launch The Meharry Circle of Friends. Through the efforts of Rabbi Randall Falk, and the other nine founding members of the Circle, Meharry’s local presence is strengthened. Other Founding members include: Mr. Anthony J. Cebrun, Mr. G. Thomas Curtis, Mrs. Jane Eskind, Thomas F. Frist, Jr., M.D., Laurence A. Grossman, M.D., Mr. Samuel H. Howard, Mr. Lemuel Lewis, Mr. Benjamin Rechter and Mr. John Seigenthaler.
The annual gifts to Meharry help advance the College’s mission of providing superior education and training to its diverse student body offering quality clinical care to medically underserved populations and engaging in groundbreaking research on the causes and cures of diseases that have a disproportionate impact on people of color and others from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Meharry Medical College is deeply grateful for the contributions, and we look forward to another celebratory year at the 2012 COF gala.
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