Million Dollar Round Table Foundation

Newsroom

Read more press releases

Baranson Receives Top Quality of Life Grant

Park Ridge, Illinois (August 8, 2003) — Marc M. Baranson, CLU, CEBS, of Williamsville, N.Y., had the prestigious honor of being awarded the top Quality of Life Grant by the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation for outstanding community service.

Baranson, of Benefit Concepts Ltd. and a 23-year MDRT member, accepted the $25,000 grant on behalf of AirLifeLine, a nonprofit organization that provides free transportation for healthcare and other compelling humanitarian reasons. Baranson, this year’s top award winner, is an active volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, which will receive the grant funding from the MDRT Foundation in honor of Baranson’s volunteer efforts for the organization. “Since becoming involved with AirLifeLine, my hobby has taken on a whole new meaning,” said Baranson. “It’s wonderful to be able to help these people and know you’re helping to relieve them of a financial burden they otherwise could not afford.”

Speaking about the award, 2003 MDRT Foundation President Mitchell W. Ostrove, CLU, ChFC, of White Plains, N.Y., said, “The MDRT Foundation selected MDRT member Marc Baranson as our top Quality of Life Award winner because of his exceptional involvement and support of AirLifeLine. The MDRT Foundation is extremely proud of Marc and is honored to recognize his volunteer efforts with a grant to AirLifeLine.”

The MDRT Foundation Quality of Life program, which was created in 1990, recognizes MDRT members for their community involvement. In honor of their commitment, the Foundation makes donations to MDRT members’ designated charities in increments of $2,500 (maximum of 20 gifts awarded), $5,000 (three gifts awarded), $10,000 (two gifts awarded) and $25,000 (one gift awarded).

This year, under the Quality of Life program, a total of $97,500 was donated by the MDRT Foundation to 21 individual charities in the name of 21 MDRT member volunteers. The grants were presented by Ostrove at the annual meeting of the MDRT membership held June 22-25,2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 6,000 members from around the world were in attendance at the meeting.

For nearly 25 years, AirLifeLine has helped to ensure equal access to healthcare and improve the quality of life throughout the United States by coordinating free air transportation for people with medical and financial need. AirLifeLine’s more than 1,500 volunteer pilots, mostly private pilots with general aviation aircraft, donate all the flights, saving passengers an estimated $4 million in travel expenses each year. The services are free for all qualifying passengers. AirLifeLine has air transportation partnerships with the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Alaska and Horizon Airlines and dozens of the nation’s leading medical centers. AirLifeLine missions include medical missions, transplant missions, humanitarian missions, cargo missions and disaster relief missions.

The MDRT Foundation was created in 1959 to provide Round Table members with a means to give back to their communities. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated in excess of $10 million to more than 1,500 worthy charities around the world. The majority of these funds were raised by MDRT members from MDRT members. Some of the organizations that have benefited from MDRT Foundation grants are: Make-a-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the American Paralysis Association.

The MDRT Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Million Dollar Round Table, the premier association of financial professionals. An international, independent association of more than 28,000 of the world’s best life insurance and financial services professionals from 74 nations and territories, MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business.