West Palm Beach - November 2025

12 W E S T PA L M B E A C H | N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 the Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital in New York. She was singing “Somewhere” from the hit show “West Side Story” and came to the line “Hold my hand and I’ll take you there.” She reached down to take the hand of a man lying on a hospital gurney, but he had no hand for her to hold. She was startled. After the concert, she asked the man what had happened. He explained that his hand and arm were blown off in Vietnam and that all the men in the hospital were disabled Vietnam Veterans. It was an eye-opening introduction to the trials and tribulations of America’s disabled veteran population. Right then, she made a promise that if she ever had the resources, she would do something big to honor the service and sacrifice of all disabled veterans. There are now more than four million living disabled American veterans. Years later, she was visiting the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC – a cousin had died in that conflict – when she learned there was no memorial on the National Mall specifically for disabled veterans. So, she decided to build one. It took nearly two decades, extensive fundraising, and a significant amount of bureaucratic red tape, but on October 5, 2014, the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony presided over by President Obama, who honored Mrs. Pope for her Herculean efforts to bring the memorial to fruition. Mrs. Pope could have rested on her laurels – but that is not who she is. Each day, she rolls up her sleeves and works to make a difference in this world. That has meant sending more than 100,000 underserved children to summer camp; giving scholarships to college students who want to become primary physicians in their home communities; building a clean water system for an entire village in South America; rescuing African women from the ravages of genocide; ensuring that children impacted by the war in Ukraine have access to food, water, health supplies, and medicines; supporting research into spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s, and Macular Degeneration, among many other neurological disorders, and much more. “The life lesson that has guided me throughout my years is quite simple: ‘It’s just as important to do GOOD in life, as it is to do WELL.” To purchase tickets and tables, become a sponsor, or for more information on the 32nd Annual Lady in Red Gala, contact LIFE at 561.582.8083, life@life-edu.org, or www.life-edu.org.