Lee County family to receive original portrait of their son at The American Fallen Soldiers Project event
To honor the service and sacrifice of the late Capt. Daniel William Eggers, LeeSar, a regional health care supply chain management company, will present The American Fallen Soldiers Project event on Feb. 11. In 2004, Eggers was killed in action in Afghanistan during his second tour of duty with the U.S. Army when his Humvee struck a land mine. He has been awarded two Bronze Star Medals, one adorned with a “V” device to designate valor, the Purple Heart, and a U.S. military base in Kabul, Afghanistan was renamed Camp Eggers in his honor after his passing.
The event is open to the public and will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harborside Event Center, located at 1375 Monroe St. in Fort Myers. Registration can be completed online at www.AmericanFallenSoldiersProjectSWFL.org or by mail for check payments. A printable registration form is available on the event website. Individual tickets are available for a donation of $20, or $150 donation for a reserved table of eight, and will include lunch and a portrait presentation ceremony. Proceeds from the event will benefit The American Fallen Soldiers Project.
This cause holds a special place in the heart of LeeSar president and CEO, Robert Simpson. As a veteran of the U.S. military, Simpson strongly supports all branches of the military and believes that the Southwest Florida community can offer valuable support to military servicemen and women and their families.
“While attending a previous portrait presentation by The American Fallen Soldiers Project, I had the opportunity to witness the impact this event has on grieving families of soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Simpson said. “There are so many families in Southwest Florida that have loved ones who have or are currently serving our country, and the LeeSar family feels privileged to provide our community with the opportunity to honor these men and women dedicated to our freedom.”
The American Fallen Soldiers Project honors fallen military by presenting grieving families with a portrait to memorialize their loved ones, and has presented approximately 200 portraits since its inception in 2007. With many of his family members in attendance at the event, Eggers’ parents, Bill and Margaret Eggers, will receive an original portrait of their soldier, created by artist and founder of The American Fallen Soldiers Project, Phil Taylor. Members of the Southwest Florida community have also joined LeeSar to honor the late Eggers. Army Maj. Gen. James Dozier, retired, a well-known military figure from Fort Myers, will serve as the master of ceremony for the event. Involved in JROTC programs throughout Lee County, Dozier knew Eggers as a student while he was enrolled in JROTC at Cape Coral High School. Father Bob Tabbert of St. John XXII Catholic Church will present the invocation with additional ceremonials support from the Lee County Sheriff’s office, Fort Myers Police Department and Cape Coral Police Department.
Originally from Pueblo, Colorado, Eggers moved to Cape Coral with his family in 1987. Eggers was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry in 1997 and began training for Special Forces in 2001. He earned his Green Beret two years later. After completing the Army Arabic Language School, becoming fluent in Arabic, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003. While in Afghanistan, Eggers served as a detachment commander in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the U.S. Army. Eggers hails from a family with a long line of military service, including his great-grandfather who was a member of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, his father who served in Vietnam and his younger brother who served two tours in Iraq.
Sponsors of the event include LeeSar, LeeSar Staff, Paces MedEquip, ACS – American Contract Systems, Mission BBQ, Crowne Plaza Hotel at Bell Tower Shops, Gates Construction, Six Bends Harley-Davidson, City of Fort Myers, McKesson Corporation, Ken Sneeden & Associates, Full Circle Production, Harmon’s Audio Visual, Connor’s Steak & Seafood, Culinary Solutions, Priority Marketing, Harborside Event Center, Lee Memorial Health System-Military Support Program, Integrated Medical Logistics, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Cape Coral Police Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Bryan Duke and Victory Layne Chevrolet.
For more information about The American Fallen Soldiers Project, visit www.AmericanFallenSoldiersProjectSWFL.org.
Formed as a cooperative effort by Lee Memorial Health System and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, LeeSar provides hospitals, physicians offices, dental care centers, and ambulatory and outpatient surgical centers with a variety of healthcare supply chain services including the acquisition and distribution of medical supplies; packaging of pharmaceuticals; surgical instrument sterilization; surgical pack manufacturing; repair and express delivery of surgical instruments; food preparation; centralized purchasing; and contract management and negotiations.
LeeSar Regional Service Center functions 24 hours per day, seven days per week to service hospitals and healthcare organizations and providers throughout the Southeastern U.S. including Lee Memorial Health System, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Central Florida Health Alliance in Leesburg, Fla. and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Ala.
Since its inception in 1998, the company has been recognized for its innovation and progressive business practices with numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, LeeSar received the Senator’s Choice Award, presented by Senator Michael Bennett, recognizing LeeSar as “The 2011 Most Innovative Company” in the state of Florida. For more information, visit www.leesar.com.
