Like the circles that a drop of water can make on the surface of a lake, the ripple effect of the generosity of one’s life can be seen through its impact on others.
The far-reaching effect of this kindness was recently brought to life through a simple gesture of one friend honoring the life of another through a charity boating event.
The Loren J. Feldner Cobalt Classic is a memorial boat ride and float to raise money for the Dental Lifeline Network Lifeline Heroes Challenge, a cause near and dear to both its namesake and Andrew McKellar, the event’s director.
“Loren was a generous, dedicated person. As a dentist, he worked long days, so he could take care of the people who didn’t work 9-5 or maybe worked an off shift,” said McKellar. “He was passionate about that.”
In fact, the Chicago-based dentist was extremely passionate about helping others. Dr. Feldner volunteered with Dental Lifeline Network for many years, offering to see patients and donate treatments to people who are elderly, have a disability, or are considered medically fragile who were also unable to pay for dental care. Since 1990, he donated more than $31,000 in dental care through DLN and was also known to perform pro-bono procedures for veterans in need.
When he died in 2019, Dr. Feldner’s loss was felt deeply by his family and in the dental community, but also within his tight-knit boating community. Dr. Feldner was a standby and a standout in the classic Cobalt community, a group of people who own vintage 1970s-style Cobalt boats.
“After losing Loren, we wanted to give the proceeds to a cause that he was passionate about.”
The Dental Lifeline Network Lifeline Heroes Challenge helps veterans get crucial and often life-saving dental care.
Between the inaugural Loren J. Feldner Cobalt Classic event held in 2019 and the recent 2020 event, McKellar and his community of boat enthusiasts have raised nearly $6,000 for the cause. McKellar and the team managed to gather hundreds of Dr. Feldner’s friends, boat owners, dealers, and even the founder of the Cobalt Boats to support the cause and have a good time on the water at Table Rock Lake in Missouri.
“Not everybody knew Loren, but everyone has a Loren in their life,” said McKellar. “My goal is to share enough about Loren so that others will find the people in their lives who impacted them and tell them how much they are appreciated. I just hope everyone can soak up the love and the outpouring.”
McKellar hopes that the 2021 event will continue to inspire others to live a generous life and give back to veterans in need.
To start your own Lifeline heroes Challenge to help veterans in need, visit dentallifeline.org/lifeline-heroes.
