Mar 24, 2015
story
Larry Klaben supporting families
home is where the heart is
The cliché ‘‘home is where the heart is” isn’t a cliché for Larry Klaben. He has been supporting families in the Dayton region for decades. Larry is the president of Morris Home Furnishings and on the Board of Trustees for Dayton Children’s. Larry is leading in his father’s footsteps; Eddie Klaben also served on the Board of Trustees in the 1990s.
For two decades, Larry has been making a positive impact on the families at the hospital – and the entire Dayton community – with his belief that “family comes first, and both Morris and Dayton Children’s support families.
Larry’s influence, leadership and passion led to the creation of fundraising efforts that have raised millions for the hospital over the years.
Five years ago, Larry created “Gem City Jam & Hoopla” golf outing in conjunction with the Terrific Women in Giving, which has raised $635,000 dollars for Dayton Children’s.
Over the years, this fundraiser supported the purchase of a transport vehicle and medical equipment such as an Accuvein vein viewer, which could be used to find veins in preemies who weigh less than three pounds, or a blanketrol, which is used when a child has been exposed to extreme temperatures. It has also supported the pediatric cancer care endowment to provide a dedicated social worker and child life therapist for hematology/oncology patients.
Larry uses his strong ties in the community to recruit sponsors and golfers and has donated thousands in home furnishings for silent auctions. Last year at the Gem City Jam, Larry was named an honorary TWIG.
Last year, Larry brought together two of his favorite philanthropies – Dayton Children’s and his alma mater, Wright State University, to support the school’s dance marathon event called “Raiderthon.” At the second annual Raiderthon, students dance for 15 hours straight in an effort to raise funds for Dayton Children’s. Students set a goal to raise $60,000 at the event and exceeded it by raising $61,019. At the inaugural event, Raiderthon was the eighth most successful first-year Dance Marathon program in history.
“If you invest in your community, you help the families who live here and strengthen the community,” Larry shares. “That’s exactly why supporting Dayton Children’s is so important; it’s our hometown children’s hospital.”
Larry was recently recognized as “Philanthropist of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
“One of the qualities I most admire about Larry is his passion for supporting kids and the community,” says Debbie Feldman, president and CEO at Dayton Children’s. “Larry has a gift of rallying others to believe that the quality of life you enjoy will be directly dependent on your willingness to get involved and make a difference with your time and resources. His legacy of giving back is inspirational and we are fortunate he’s supported Dayton Children’s and the Dayton community for nearly 25 years.”
