Dedications 2 Dads: A Letter from Dad & Board Member Tim Holcer

I am a father, a member of the Board of the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, and a donor to its cause.

Of all these roles, it is as a father that I know firsthand the importance of the Foundation’s mission.  ASRL gives “the gift of time” to single parents, by paying their urgent expenses, so that they can stay at the bedside of their catastrophically ill child…sometimes in their last days.

When our teenage daughter Jennie spent months in the hospital after an automobile accident, we saw firsthand the strain on families blindsided by medical trauma.  We were lucky.  Jennie had the best doctors, a father with excellent health insurance, and my wife, Marilyn, could be at Jennie’s side.  We also had a supportive network of family and friends, allowing us to juggle the many challenges of being with Jennie and not losing sight of how our son Tim was dealing with this trauma as well.

As Jennie struggled with her long recovery, Marilyn and I would often turn to each other and ask, “What about parents who are alone?  What about families without insurance?  What happens to single dads who do not have a supportive network or a sympathetic employer?”

“Who makes sure these families do not lose their home, their job and their child?”

When we heard about the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, we knew we must get involved as a family.

I have joined the board, and this past year our family set up a new ASRL program at Memorial Children’s Hospital in our hometown of Chicago.

As we approach Father’s Day, I look forward to spending the afternoon with my family: my lovely wife, Marilyn, Jennie, her husband Brian, Tim and his wife Jessie, and our grandson Dylan.  I will be thinking of the fathers who are spending the day with their sick children in a hospital.  They are the ones who need our help now – as they struggle to comfort and support their child, keep food on the table, gas in the car and their families filled with hope.

Our best gifts come from the heart.  What do you give to a dad who has everything?

I am a dad who makes heartfelt gifts to the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation. I challenge you to do the same – make a heartfelt gift to honor a favorite dad or friend – AND help struggling fathers who will benefit so greatly from your generous support!

Marilyn and I, and all of us at ASRL, send you our best wishes, and our appreciation.

With thanks,

Tim Holcer

Board Treasurer, ASRL