A dedication to health care initiatives........... A message from Steven Plunkett - President, The Plunkett Foundation When The Plunkett Foundation was established in 1997, I had already been witness to the long and difficult battles my father, Dr. Earl Plunkett and my mother, Corinne Plunkett, had waged with the illnesses that eventually took their lives. I had also seen many good friends struggle with serious and sometimes disabling health problems. Their strength has served as an inspiration to me to do what I can to support our medical community in its work to prevent such suffering. When we began the Foundation, our goal was to fund a wide variety of community projects, but today it is clear to me that our support is most needed in the areas of research and medical equipment. That will remain our focus in the future. My father was a man whose dedication to medicine came in many forms. Even late in his remarkable career, Dad worked seven days a week, pausing only on Christmas Day in a year-long stretch. He was loyal to his patients, answering their calls at any hour he was needed, always treating them with gentle respect. My father also dedicated himself to research and education. When he opened the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Unit (REI) at University Hospital in London in 1984, it was an undertaking that would touch the lives of thousands of couples who had previously been unable to conceive a child. Because the unit was the first of its kind in Canada, he generously shared his expertise with other physicians and the unit became a model for REI clinics around the world. At The University of Western Ontario and internationally, he taught and lectured thousands of students. One of the highlights of the last two years for me was a tour I took of the London Health Sciences Centre's REI unit and a visit to what used to be my father's department. He would, I think, be pleased to know that the Foundation has helped to fund the purchase of medical tools that have replaced outdated equipment that he likely ordered himself some fifteen years ago. The London medical community has a long and proud heritage of cutting edge research and significant breakthroughs, and it is very satisfying to contribute to that heritage. My work with the Foundation allows me to "give back" to the community that has been so good to my family. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to members of The Plunkett Foundation Board of Directors who have each brought their unique expertise to the table. I look forward to continuing our work together to provide financial resources to support exciting and innovative health care initiatives in London and surrounding counties.