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Thoughts on the Gift of Life
By Jim Stavis
If you receive and follow our newsletter, you may know that I sometimes drift onto subjects other than steel. Ironically I receive the greatest amount of feedback when I jump up on my soapbox to discuss issues other than steel.
Again if you read our monthly newsletter you would know that last November 4th I, Jim Stavis, received a heart and kidney transplant at Cedar's Sinai Medical Center. For me and my family it was a life changing moment. It became known to me after the surgery that my "old" heart was severely
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distressed and on its last legs. I was blessed to receive a new heart and kidney from a tragic auto accident of a 17-year-old teenager.
Today, five months later I'm happy to say that my recovery has been truly miraculous as I have adapted to my new organs. I still have a pancreas scheduled to be transplanted later this year and hopefully my makeover will be complete. For those that have sent their warm wishes and prayers, I can't thank you enough. You have been an inspiration to me as I hope I have been for you.
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If given a second chance in life, how would you treat it? This is a question that has challenged me since the surgery as I assess the direction of my life. Would you change your career, move out of the area, travel? In a way, I believe I have won the health lottery and there are decisions to be made as to what to do with my second chance in life.
My first order of business is to give back to the very process that saved my life which is promoting organ donors. I have volunteered to be an ambassador for the Donate Life Foundation and to spread their gospel. Right now there are more than 18,000 Californians awaiting organ transplants, over 90,000 nationally. Tragically, one third of those will die before their name is ever called. About 17 people a day die while waiting for organs to become available. Most people when asked if they would be organ donors say that they would, but have not taken the necessary steps for that to happen. Previously people believed that if they had signed a donor card and had a pink dot on their license, that they were covered. Now, however, unless your name appears on a registry, your wishes may not be guaranteed. You can officially register online at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org to be an organ donor.
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On April 29th, Paragon Steel sponsored a 5K run/walk that was held at Cal State Fullerton to promote organ donors. We raised over $5,000 and had over 50 people attend to promote our cause. If you wish to donate, you can do so online at www.active.com/donate/donatelife06. Our team name is Paragon Steel 4 Life. For any donation that is made, Paragon Steel will match that amount as a credit against future orders (up to $500). Any contribution large or small is appreciated.
Perhaps the greatest gift of all is the perspective that I have gained as a result of this process. I now understand that which is important and that which is not. I value each day that I live and breathe and know that tomorrow may never come. While I understand that each day may not go exactly as I want, I'm confident about what tomorrow may bring. Instead of looking at the negative aspects of my life, I'm focusing (or at least trying) to see the positive. My life truly is a journey; and I'm so thrilled to have you along for the ride.
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Philanthropy: It Does a Business Well
By Jim Stavis
And speaking of charity… Many executives these days are besieged with requests from non profit groups seeking help for a myriad of causes and charities. They realize that corporate efforts to improve society can enhance their company's reputation, but it isn't always easy to know which projects or causes to support.
The old model of corporate philanthropy no longer works. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, for example, donated millions of dollars of his fortune to build libraries, universities and museums. But he also badly polluted towns where his steel mills operated and dealt harshly with employees, even hiring Pinkerton guards to shoot at strikers. These days civic largess won't offset shoddy treatment of employees, customers or the environment. Beyond decent management practices there is such a thing called corporate social responsibility (CSR) which presents a dizzying array of choices for corporations to get behind. The solution for a number of companies is to focus on programs
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that directly relate to and that which benefit their businesses. In our case, the cause of donating organs is central to our business as it served to save the life of a principal founder of the company.
Corporate responsibility can also lead to new business opportunities. For example, Citigroup has funded initiatives in developing countries for years and is now taking advantage of those relationships. Many companies jumped in to help without much fanfare in the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the Tsunami in Indonesia. Many corporations have learned a lot about image making since the days of the robber barons. Companies that make unhealthy products such as cigarettes aren't going to be able to offset that with philanthropy. But those who say being socially responsible just costs money and detracts from the bottom line are plain wrong. In my estimation it can boost the bottom line and add value for investors. Plus, it just feels good to be a good citizen.
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Quote of the Month
We had a company-wide contest this month which asked the questions, "What does the higher level mean to you?" (in 15 words or less) This is our company motto that we hope to achieve on a daily basis. Our winner of the contest was Jayme Lamb who created the following:
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| "Superior service, customer satisfaction, keeping your word and following through." |
| We think this describes the essence of Paragon Steel. |
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