Edwin Hopper, executive board member of the Southern Arizona Veterans and First Responders Living Memorial, believes society can be judged by how we treat the individuals who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

With first responders in mind, the Robert E. Hopper Family Foundation has made a generous gift of $25,000 to the Living Memorial, with plans to give more in the future.

“All first responders show humanity there is good in this world and one must be willing to fight to preserve it,” Hopper says. “The Living Memorial will represent a beacon for all those who have and still are putting their lives on the line day in and day out. It will be a place for people to pay respect and learn what an individual can do and has done for society.”

Hopper, head of Business Development and Investment Research at RMH Investments, says Robert E. Hopper, his grandfather and a World War II pilot, deeply impacted his respect for veterans and first responders. Through his grandfather’s stories and experiences, Hopper learned how that generation showed the world what humanity can do when people come together.

“Evil has come in many forms throughout history, and first responders are always there to separate and protect society from that evil,” Hopper says.

Hopper adds that it is important to remember that first responders are usually dealing with individuals on their worst days. “They are a beacon of light for many of them, and they have volunteered for this role,” he says. “That is something that should be rewarded by the community, and I believe if we all can come together and raise the $2 million needed for this Living Memorial, it will be a major step towards the ‘thank you’ they all deserve!”

YMCA Honors Living Memorial Board Members

Two members of the Southern Arizona Veterans and First Responders Living Memorial Board of Directors will be honored at the 2018 YMCA Community Military Ball on Nov. 10 at the Tucson Convention Center.

Richard (Dick) Eggerding, SP4, Army Korean War Veteran and VFRLM Board Chair, and Richard (Dick) Tracy, Quartermaster 3rd class, Navy Korean War Veteran and VFRLM Board Member, will be honored as the YMCA recognizes its 2018 Council of Heroes and all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. This year the YMCA honors WWII Vets, Korean War Vets and Holocaust Survivors for their courage, bravery and sacrifice deserving of our everlasting gratitude.

The Veterans Day Weekend event will include a formal dinner and dance from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds fund YMCA programs for military service men, women, and their families.