For all things United Helpers
One of the longest tenured volunteers in the history of United Helpers was recently honored with emeritus status following 37 years of service to the organization.
Dr. Edward I. Gordon, a retired veterinarian began volunteering with United Helpers in 1986, spending several stints on both the Management Company (United Helpers, Inc.) Board of Directors and the Society Board of Directors.
Committees he served on include Pension Review, Personnel, Investment, Planning, Quality Assurance, Nominating, Scholarship, and Fund Development.
“There isn’t much for a volunteer to do with our organization that Dr. Gordon has not done,” said United Helpers CEO Todd R. Amo, who noted Dr. Gordon’s wife Bobby is also a volunteer with United Helpers, currently serving on the United Helpers, Inc. Board.
In addition to many years of volunteer service, the Gordons have also been significant financial supporters of United Helpers.
In 2020 Dr. Gordon created an endowment in honor of his late grandmother to fund the Fannie Frank Award. The following year, the Gordons again made a sizable contribution to United Helpers, this time naming the therapy suite at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in honor of retired CEOs John Turongian and Stephen E. Knight.
The announcement of Dr. Gordon’s Emeritus Status was made at the Society Board of Director’s annual meeting by Society Board President Joseph Finnegan. Mr. Finnegan presented him with a plaque which read, “With our greatest appreciation we hereby present Dr. Edward Gordon Emeritus Status. For your unwavering support and unrelenting guidance that helped in leading our path to success you are being honored with much appreciation and gratitude.”
United Helpers, Inc. Board
President Darlene Liscum also presented Dr. Gordon with a framed proclamation
announcing the honor.
Reading from the proclamation, Mrs. Liscum said, “Dr. Gordon dedicated countless hours in support of the community members who receive services from United Helpers and volunteered his time to acknowledge the individual contributions of people he influenced, his love of making special memories and improving the quality of life for others.”
Following a standing ovation, Dr. Gordon spoke briefly saying he was both touched and humbled by the honor.
“This is kind of overwhelming,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t expecting this. When I announced my retirement from the board I said, ‘If you’re lucky enough to be a part of United Helpers for 37 years than you’re lucky enough.”
Dr. Gordon lives in Potsdam with his wife, Barbara “Bobby” Gordon. The couple has four children and seven grandchildren.
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Dr. Edward Gordon was recently
honored with emeritus status by the Society of United Helpers Board of
Directors. Dr. Gordon has been a volunteer with United Helpers for 37 years,
serving in many different capacities during that time. From left, presenting
Dr. Gordon with a framed proclamation announcing the honor is United Helpers,
Inc. Board of Directors President Darlene Liscum, Dr. Gordon, and Society of
United Helpers Board President Joseph Finnegan. |
By Benny Fairchild
In 1855 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a book of poems titled "The Song of Hiawatha." Aside from an introduction the book contained 22 poems, each telling a different tale related to the life of a fictional Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha.
According to the Maine Historical Society's website, included in the epic series of poems is the tragic love story of Hiawatha and a Dakota woman named Minnehaha. The entire series of events takes place along the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan.
Longfellow's work would eventually become the foundation for one of United Helpers' first major fundraisers, a pageant with a cast of more than 100 people, including many children from the United Helpers Home held June 30 - July 2, 1915, at the Fairgrounds in Ogdensburg.
According to an advertisement in the June 21 edition of The Ogdensburg Journal promoting the pageant, four shows were held over the course of three days with general admission tickets costing only 25 cents. The ad noted, "Reserved seats and motor car parking space extra."
An article detailing the show in the June 17 edition of The Ogdensburg Advance and St. Lawrence Weekly Democrat.
"Of all the poems written by Longfellow, perhaps none lends itself better to dramatic presentation than "Hiawatha. And it is certain that none is more interesting to the lovers of American Romance," the article reads. "Indian dances and music will be introduced and real Indian teepees and a campfire will make the setting most realistic."
While we were unable to find how much money was raised by the production, we did find a thank you note published in the July 9 edition of The Ogdensburg Journal.
"The President of the United Helpers Home and the Committee in charge of the presentation of the pageant of Hiawatha wish to thank all those who so generously assisted in making the pageant a success."
To read "The Song of Hiawatha" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's work in its entirety, please visit https://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=62.
