Heifer Foundation is pleased to announce its 2006 Dan West Fellow Award winner, Gary Cooper of Sarasota, Florida. In Cooper’s honor, $1,000 will be added to the Foundation’s Dan West Education Endowment, a portion of which is made available each year to Heifer International for use in educating the public about the root causes of hunger and poverty.

”What an honor to hear my name has been chosen as the 2006 Dan West Fellow Award winner,” says Cooper. “It has been a great pleasure to give part of my life to helping the poor and less fortunate.”

He adds, “I’m just pleased to be associated with the organization. Certainly, when you see the difference they (Heifer International) are making in third-world countries, it’s easy to want to be more involved.”

Cooper served for nine years as a member of the Heifer Foundation Board of Trustees, including a term as Chair of the Board.

Heifer Foundation President and CEO Janet K. Ginn says, “We are so pleased and humbled to have Gary as a vital part of this organization.”

An Indiana farm boy, Cooper knew of Heifer long ago; his family had even donated a heifer to the organization in the 1950s. But it was in the early ‘90s, when he participated in his first of many Heifer study tours, that the relationship began in earnest.

Cooper has visited Heifer projects in several countries, including Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. In 1992, he made his most exciting Heifer-related trip, when he flew with 100 heifers to Jordan.

In addition to his support of Heifer, Cooper is active with other international agricultural development organizations, especially in Haiti.

View Previous Year Winners:

2002 William "Bill" Appelgate
2003 Willard and Ursula Bartel
2004 Marvel Lund
2005 Dr. Marion Hammarlund

Back to About Us