Dec 20, 2007
Giving Thanks this Holiday Season
By Scott Gerschwer, VP, Global Marketing, Megaspirea
In this week’s column I want to give a shout out to my buddy Mark Fallon (pictured here).
I’ve known Mark for a number of years and I hold him in high regard. He’s bright, experienced, worldly, and has a good sense of humor. I first met him when he was in charge of mail operations at a northeast bank and I was handling media relations for a mail and document technology company. He was a client and we wrote a story about how our company helped him make his operation more efficient. It was a good article and Mark had added some really nice details that made it valuable to readers. The article was going into a company-sponsored edition of a trade magazine and I was the guest editor. I decided to put Mark on the cover.
Shortly after that he left the bank to form his own business, the Berkshire Company, and is doing very nicely (www.berkshire-company.com). Over the years I’d see him at conferences and shows and we’d have a pint and talk. He came to our booth at Graph Expo to see the Mailliner in action and he asked me some good questions about it, probing for weaknesses, looking for ways to confirm or deny our value propositions. He later told me that he was impressed.
About a month ago he sent me an email that he was training to run a marathon to benefit an organization called the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org). I made a small contribution and sent him a note wishing him luck. I really didn’t think all that much about it. I know that Mark was in the Army but I assume it’s been awhile since he did basic training. He likes his beer and I’ve smoked cigars with him, so I’d guess that training for a marathon would not be an easy thing to do. But he’s very goal-oriented so I figured that if he didn’t drop dead of a heart attack he’d do OK.
Now the holidays are here and like most people I’ve been rushing around trying to get a million things done, making lists and checking them twice and getting caught up in the spirit of the season. But then you turn on the news and see what’s going on in the world and you have to feel for our service men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq who are so far away from home once again this holiday season.
And it made me think of Mark: On Sunday, December 16 Mark Fallon ran the Jacksonville Marathon in 3 hours and 53 minutes and more importantly raised over $6,300 for wounded veterans. That’s a heck of a thing to do and I’m proud to know him and given him a small measure of support.
Now I can’t run but I can write. So here we go:
The Wounded Warrior Project has taken on the mission of assisting men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their logo is a silhouette of a soldier carrying a comrade off the battlefield. Their signature deliverable is a backpack designed to make their hospital stay more comfortable with items like clothing, toiletries, a calling card, a CD player and playing cards. They provide these to the severely wounded arriving at military trauma centers. It’s a worthy cause.
This holiday season will be much more memorable for you if you take the time to visit their website and make a contribution, even a small contribution. We’ve got to take care of those that are taking care of us, right?
Great job, Mark Fallon. You are a mensch and an inspiration.
By the way, Don Piontek of Digital Finishing News used his latest e-mail blast to pass this holiday message along, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me doing the same:
It's that time again. As Christmas and the New Year approach, we celebrate family, count our blessings, take stock of the past year and reflect. I got an email from Bill Gunther of Gunther Technologies a few weeks ago. Bill is an industry "wise man" and a technology pioneer with dozens of patents to his name. It was a powerful and touching message, and I thought I would share it with you:
Todd Heisler of The Rocky Mountain News won First Place in this years International Picture Contest with this photo:
When Marine Corps. 2nd Lt. James Cathy's body arrived at Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped his casket as the passengers on board watched his family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International, Marine Major Steve Beck said "See the people in the windows? They sat right there watching those Marines. You wonder what's going through their minds, knowing they're on the plane that brought him home" he said. "They will remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home, and they should.
So take a moment and remember that we live in a great country because of men like 2nd Lt. Cathy and his comrades. This Christmas, show your appreciation to your family and friends. Life is short, so now is the time to tell them what they mean to you. Best wishes and Merry Christmas to all of you and your loved ones.
Best Regards,
Don Piontek
Happy Holidays and all the best in the coming year!
---Scott Gerschwer, VP, Global Marketing, Megaspirea