January 28th, 2008
A Note from Road of Life Founder Rob Emrich
As many of you may know, my last official day as a Road of Life staff member was Nov. 19th, 2007. I have been working for the past year to transition the organization into the capable hands of our current Executive Director, Shane Hankins. I now serve on our board of directors and remain very engaged with the organization, albeit in a much different capacity. In the past six years, The Keren Emrich Foundation | Road of Life has truly transformed from dream to reality and has undergone many changes to take its current shape. Although I have poured my life and every personal resource I had into this organization, I feel as though I have gotten so much more than I have put in. I think, during that time, that I have grown and matured as a person in a way that has mirrored the growth and maturation of the organization itself.
s I reflect back on 2007 and I look at our accomplishments – serving over 25,000 children throughout the country and making a quantum leap financially – I feel, more than anything, gratitude to those who have helped on this journey. This organization would not be here if not for the support of our loyal volunteers, staff, donors, advisors, and board members.
The list of people I have to thank personally is far too long for this email, but I wanted to specifically show appreciation to my parents, Ron and Joyce, for their endless support and encouragement of me and my dreams; my brother Michael, who has taught me more about myself than anyone I know and has given me someone to look up to; and my sister, Allie, for being the smiling, happy person that she is and the glue that kept our family together after my sister Keren died. I think of all the gifts that I have been given in my life and thank my sister Keren, to whose memory the organization is dedicated, for giving me the greatest gift. Starting this organization has given meaning to my life in a way that I don’t think I could ever describe.
Professionally, I want to thank the entire group of people who have worked at Road of Life. You are an remarkable group of people, and your efforts have created this magnificent engine of righteousness that continues to churn out hope for the future, both through your actions and through our results. The fuel of your efforts is now multiplied every day that we can change another child’s life and protect that child from cancer or another debilitating chronic disease. The organization is truly indebted to your service and sacrifice. In particular, I’d like to thank Matt Youngner, who now serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and has been with the organization from the moment it was a grain of an idea. Through thick and thin, Matt has always been there. Thank you for your diligence, your intelligence, and your patience. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
I have had a chance to meet many of the people on this list during my 10 years in Columbus or while traveling elsewhere throughout the country or world. Many of you are teachers or afterschool providers or parents who just need high-quality programs to raise the next generation of healthy kids. To all of you I have one request: please become a part of the movement we have created by letting us know what we can do to better serve you as an educator, donor, or volunteer. We are listening, and while it may take time for us to change, we can only be as good as the criticism and praise you provide us.
For those of you interested in my future, I am leaving my day-to-day role to pursue new endeavors that continue to challenge me as a person. Most immediately, I will be traveling throughout the world, beginning February 1, reflecting and writing on some of the issues I have learned about in the past six years. I am very excited to share these new experiences, ideas, and details with anyone who is interested. Towards that end, I have created a personal website to update everyone on many of my current projects and travels, as well as to provide information about the fellowship I received to pursue them. Please visit www.robemrich.com for the latest on my latest adventures and pursuits. I have also set up an email list– if you would like to receive periodic updates about my journey, you can subscribe on the first page of my site. My latest contact information will always be listed on the site, so I look forward to keeping in touch with all of you.
Yours in gratitude,
Rob Emrich
Founder
The Keren Emrich
