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| June 5, 2008 |
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CCDH MOURNS THE LOSS OF SENATOR SHERMAN WINN
LONG TIME CHAMPION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND OTHERS IN NEED . . .
Sherman Winn was a lot of things to a lot of people - Mayor of the City of North Miami, State Senator, Dade County Commissioner, a giant in the tourism industry, and more. What shone through all my interactions with him, however, was that Sherman Winn was first and foremost "a family man". No conversation, regardless of its stated purpose, passed without talk about the wife he adored and the children he loved. One of his daughters, Patty, happened to have a developmental disability.
CCDH came to know Senator Winn during his tenure as a County Commissioner. Back in the 1980's - when Commissioners were elected county-wide and funding for social services was a high priority - Senator Winn made sure that individuals with developmental disabilities received support from the County. Those were the days of budget hearings that began at 5 PM and lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. At the end of the final budget hearing of every year, Commissioners would award discretionary funds. And at the end of the final budget hearing of every year, Senator Winn made sure that, through CCDH, people with developmental disabilities "got a little more".
Daughter Patty passed away from cancer in 1996. Shortly thereafter, CCDH established the Patricia Lee Winn Family Emergency Assistance Fund. Named in memory of Patty, and in honor of Senator and Mrs. (Roslyn) Winn, its purpose is to provide individuals with disabilities emergency financial assistance in times of crisis. Down to earth, and practical, Senator Winn knew that there are some problems only money can solve; education, training, and therapies become low priorities when faced with eviction, no food with which to feed your children, or an inability to get around because of a broken wheelchair. For more than a decade, now, contributions to this Fund continue to help dozens of people annually.
It has been a little more than a year since I last spoke with Senator Winn. His voice was weak and raspy, but before handing the phone to daughter Susan, his message was loud and clear: Keep Patty's memory alive.
Active and committed to many worthy causes and organizations, we were overwhelmed to learn that the Winn family requested that donations in his memory be made to CCDH'. We are humbled by this honor, and the opportunity to continue playing a role in keeping alive the memory of the beloved daughter of a beloved friend. We pledge to continue good stewardship of this trust - following Senator Winn's example, and honoring his memory, by making sure that help is given to those who need help most.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and member agencies of CCDH, we extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Winn family.
Helene J. Good, President & CEO
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| (To learn more about Senator Winn, please click here.) |
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