A TRIBUTE

It may seem that I spend a lot of time, in these pages, talking about what Shakespeare evoked as "the evil that men do." I am, though, not one of those who lay the responsibility for all the world's ill at the feet of men. It is good to also celebrate their strength. Never underestimate the power of a man who has discovered his mission of service to do good and spread light in this world.

A case in point is our friend Roger, Dr. Roger V. Ohanesian, founder and chairman of the Armenian Eye Care Project. We were invited to attend a ceremony last night to honor his work in literally bringing light into the world of countless impoverished Armenians, healing damaged or aging eyes and restoring eyesight to thousands of children who would otherwise spend their lives in darkness.

Himself a distinguished leader in the field of eye surgery, Roger's passion has attracted dozens of fellow professionals to the cause. A short film that was shown last night documents the work of his organization in bringing eye care even to remote areas of Armenia, with well(and expensively!) equipped mobile clinics and in pioneering surgical procedures that become models for international practice. Twenty-first century communications allow him to bring the international community of eye doctors together in ways that benefit the entire profession.

A testament to Roger's passion was the huge crowd of supporters who gathered at a dinner to honor the philanthropist couple, Luther Khachigian and his late wife Glenda, and the work of The Center for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness.  Roger was introduced by former California Governor George Deukmajian, and his presentation made clear the scope of his ambitions for the project.

All in all, this was a lovely evening, and one that reminded us that good things happen in this world as a result of the dedicated work of men of service. Ellie and I felt honored to have been invited to join so many of the spirited and generously supportive Armenian community for this event. We even brought home a couple of bottles of wine on which we had made a bid in the silent auction!  Our sincere thanks to Roger and Eileen for including us!

I'M SURE DONATIONS ARE WELCOME!