SALT LAKE CITY — A reception was held in honor of Mr. E.W. "Al" Thrasher on Friday evening, 12 April, in the Ambassador Room of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Mr. Thrasher, the benefactor of the Thrasher Research Fund, was born in Chelan, Washington, in 1920 and is credited with many inventions that revolutionized the lumber industry throughout the United States and Canada.
The Utah-based Thrasher Research Fund provides grants for pediatric medical research. Over the last 25 years, the fund has awarded more than $35 million to premier researchers and research institutions throughout the world. Thrasher-funded grants have led to significant improvement in the lives of children. The establishment of the Thrasher Research Fund is a tribute to Mr. Thrasher?s desire to alleviate disease and pain among children.
Dr. Edward B. Clark, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, and medical director of the Primary Children?s Hospital, presented Mr. Thrasher with an acknowledgment from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The citation from Dr. Steven Berman, immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and former member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the fund, read in part: "The medical research grants awarded by the Fund continue to offer promise to improve the world?s greatest resource — the lives of children. As the benefactor of the Thrasher Research Fund, I know you have the satisfaction of knowing that you and your wife have made a difference in the lives of so many children around the world. ... It is our hope that your vision of finding solutions to the medical problems of children will continue to be realized as the Fund seeks to foster creativity and discovery aimed at the prevention and treatment of children?s diseases."
A brief program included an introduction by Keith B. McMullin, chair of the fund?s executive committee, followed by musical selections by members of the Salt Lake Children?s Choir. Dr. A. Dean Byrd, president of the fund, shared highlights of fund-supported research projects.
Mr. Thrasher and the Thrasher family greeted guests during the reception that followed.