Photo: Robert Lowell

Kay W. Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer of the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, addressed 25 members of the Clara Barton Legacy Society at the annual Clara Barton luncheon on Tuesday, July 31.  The lunch, held at Chapter headquarters in Manhattan, recognizes supporters who make planned gifts—gifts through financial or estate plans—to the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Ms. Wilkins offered a moving summary of her Chapter's response to Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, and she thanked the attendees on behalf of the more than 1,700 families "who traveled to New York from the Gulf and were so well taken care of by this Chapter.”

ARC/GNY CEO Theresa Bischoff also addressed luncheon attendees, reminding them of the vital role the Chapter plays in New York, one made possible by their generosity and the generosity of hundreds of New Yorkers who have included the local Red Cross in their philanthropy planning.

Also participating in the event was Warren Bimblick, Chairman of the Clara Barton Legacy Society and a dedicated member of the ARC/GNY Board of Trustees. Bimblick paid tribute to Legacy Society members Mary Geraldine Williams and Ashok Malhotra, both of whom passed away this spring.