Recently you had the opportunity to read an article about a young man named Michael Ianiri, a fourth-grader at Herman Elementary in Auburn, who collected an impressive amount of aluminum can tabs for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Many people have heard the word “Shriner,” but few seem to know what it means or what Shriners are or do.

Most in our area have heard of the Shrine Circus, and have at some point seen Shriners in parades, either riding a motorcycle, a toy train, marching along wearing their red fez, or even dressed as clowns giving candy and balloons to children. Yet, if asked, very few could say what the Shriners are about or what they stand for. In short, the answer is, children.

The Shriners of North America was founded in New York City in 1872, as a “fun” organization for Masons to form clubs that today center on activities such as sports, traveling, bands, clowning, motorcycling and even flying.

The Auburn Shrine Club, which incorporates most Shriners in Cayuga County, is linked with the Damascus Shrine in Rochester and boasts the oldest Shrine Club in the world, with more than 110 years of history. Early in the Shriners' creation, the members agreed that they must stand for and be active in more than their own entertainment. They decided that their efforts would be centered on crippled children, and in 1922, the first Shriners Hospital for Children was opened through fundraising and member contributions. Today, there are 22 Shriners Hospitals in North America. In its first few weeks of operation, this hospital was averaging 1,000 child patients a day.

In addition to the extraordinary efforts of Michael Ianiri, there are other equally significant contributions being made locally to the Shriners Hospitals. Just a week ago, a local chapter of the Rainbow Girls, a youth group, donated 40 pounds of can tabs to the Auburn Masonic Lodge, assisted by a local veterans group that spent a weekend in a bottle and can recycling center.

This year alone, with the help of teacher Debbie Hares, daughter of a Shriner, Cayuga Elementary collected more than 200 pounds of tabs for the hospitals. Even some local business owners are encouraging their employees and customers to put their can tabs in collection jars. The can tabs alone provide a strong amount of support for the hospitals, and every once in a while, someone provides us all with an inspiring example of generosity.

This past year, Clinton Clark, of Auburn, passed away at the age of 98. He had been a Mason and Shriner for 76 years, and as the owner of Clark Oil Company, had given generously to many charities. However, no one knew that Mr. Clark was doing so well in his hobby of the past 60 years - the stock market. Upon his death, his family and friends were shocked to learn that Mr. Clinton had left the Shriners Hospitals for Children $1.9 million and another $1.9 million to the Masonic Medical Research Lab in Utica. Every bit of local effort, from a weekend, to several months or years, to nearly a lifetime, makes a difference and is appreciated.

The most important part of the Shriners Hospitals for Children is that all of the care and services provided are at absolutely no cost to the patient or their family. This includes transportation to and from the hospitals. Members pay for transportation for the patient and family members, often doing the driving themselves. This is why the efforts and generosity of the people mentioned are so significant. When people realize what the Shriners Hospitals do, and who they do it for, people open up their hearts and give their time, energy and resources - the Auburn Shrine Club and Damascus Shrine would like to recognize and thank them all for what they have done.

Shrine Hospitals today specialize in orthopedic problems, severe burns and spinal cord injuries. Most patients require long stays for treatment and multiple visits. In the past 84 years, Shrine Hospitals have provided services to more than 800,000 children. In 2005 alone, nearly 38,000 new patients were provided for. Since their creation, Shriners Hospitals have spent approximately $9.3 billion on child health care. Often, families do not know that these hospitals exist. If you know of a family that has a child with orthopedic, burn or spinal cord problems, and is having difficulty paying for or finding services for their child, please do not hesitate to contact your nearest Masonic Lodge, Shrine Temple, or member of these organizations. For more information about the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the patients they have helped, you can visit www.shrinershq.org.

Cambareri writes for the Auburn Shrine Club