Our 2020 Supporters of the Year: Eileen and Les Quick
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
BlinkNow is proud to honor Eileen and Les Quick with our prestigious Supporter of the Year award. Their contribution to BlinkNow’s success is immeasurable and our growth as an organization is deeply intertwined with the enduring support of the Quick Family. Eileen has served on the BlinkNow Foundation Board for 10 years, at times participating on our Executive, Development, and Health Committees. During her tenure, she has overseen the organization’s five-fold growth. As a result of her guidance and service on our we have seen the impact of our programs grow year after year.
The Quick’s support has gone beyond simply serving from afar. Whether in Nepal or in the U.S. they are willing to step in whenever needed. Eileen and her daughter Maura traveled to Nepal to support efforts on the ground in the summer of 2014. Always willing to lend a hand, they were also instrumental in helping care for baby Ravi when he first joined our home and required long-term medical care. Together the Quick family has shown time and again that true leadership requires action. In 2015, Eileen and Les introduced Maggie to Les’s alma mater Saint Bonaventure where Maggie later earned her honorary degree.
In 2017 Eileen co-chaired BlinkNow’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration, the only gala in BlinkNow’s history. Under Eileen’s leadership, and despite the fact that the event was new and untested, nearly half of our annual budget was raised in an atmosphere as gracious and jubilant as the hostess herself. Almost half of the attendees and sponsors were supporting BlinkNow for the first time, and even more were introduced to our organization by Eileen and Les personally.
Throughout her years with our organization, Eileen has gone far beyond her duties as a board member. Eileen has been a mentor, advisor, and friend to Maggie at every twist and turn. Maggie often says that she doesn’t know where she would be without Eileen as a sounding board by her side all of these years. The Quick’s have also allowed BlinkNow to use their beautiful home as a place to conduct business on numerous occasions. From board meetings and gala committee gatherings to staff retreats and holiday parties, the Quick’s are the first to welcome us all into their home. The Quick’s have also welcomed Maggie and international staff to stay at their home when visiting the US for various events on a number of occasions, sometimes hosting as many as five people at once.
Eileen and Les are glowing representatives of BlinkNow in the community. Often when we introduce our work to someone, we are met with a glimmer of recognition “I know about BlinkNow - I know Eileen Quick”. She exemplifies the organization’s values wherever she goes and lends her considerable gravitas to our cause. She has brought her expertise as a long-time board member at other organizations and her training as a social worker to assist with our strategic goals and implementation. BlinkNow and the passion she has for our mission to empower Nepal’s children. The “Quick enthusiasm” has extended to every member of their family— including their four children Chris and his wife Lizzy, Ryan, Kelsey, and Maura— their network of friends, and their larger community with our organization.
In 2020, Eileen and Les started the Maggie Doyne Founders Fund—a restricted endowment ensuring the continuity of program funding for our most vulnerable children during times of crisis. For Eileen’s ten years of dedicated board service, BlinkNow created an award in her honor. The Compassionate Service Award will be presented annually to a Kopila Valley student who exemplifies the values Eileen most personifies: kindness, humility, and leadership through service.
The Quick’s are true philanthropic partners, working side-by-side with BlinkNow to ensure every child is safe, educated, and loved. We will miss Eileen’s presence and leadership on our board, but feel solace in knowing she and the Quick family will always be a part of our BlinkNow family. Eileen will continue to serve as an advisor to Maggie and at a committee level. We are thrilled to honor Eileen and Les with the BlinkNow Supporter of the Year award.