Dr. Al Habtoor continues to make positive impact on Central Illinois
The longtime friend of Illinois College announced a $500,000 donation to the Central Illinois Foodbank on Friday.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Khalaf Al Habtoor H’10, founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, LLC of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is continuing to make a positive difference in the Central Illinois region with the recent announcement that he is donating $500,000 to establish an endowment at the Central Illinois Foodbank.
The “Dr. Khalaf Al Habtoor and Congressman Paul Findley Children’s Fund” will provide food to children in need throughout the 21 counties served by the Central Illinois Foodbank. Al Habtoor announced the donation on Friday at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in downtown Springfield, which is owned by his company.
Dr. Al Habtoor’s gift to the foodbank honors the legacy of service to others that was a hallmark of the career of Illinois College alumnus and former U.S. Congressman Paul Findley ’43, and his own commitment to the cause of alleviating hunger throughout the world.
Al Habtoor has had a longtime connection to the Illinois College community, which developed through his friendship with Findley. The two have worked closely together since being introduced in the 1980s and share philanthropic values and a mutual interest in enhancing relationships between the U.S. and the Middle East.
Al Habtoor has been made several transformative gifts to Illinois College, including a donation in 2007 to establish the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Center to promote justice and opportunity for all people. His gift made it possible to renovate historic Whipple Hall and establish the Paul A. Findley Congressional Office Museum..
Illinois College conferred an honorary doctorate upon Al Habtoor in 2010 in recognition of his distinguished contributions to global peace. In 2014, Dr. Al Habtoor invited former President Jimmy Carter to give the Phi Alpha Lecture on campus. As part of the lecture, Al Habtoor announced the launch of the Pathways to Peace program at Illinois College and he participated in the dedication ceremony for the Khalaf Al Habtoor Archives in Schewe Library.
The State Journal Register covered news of the most recent collaboration between Findley and Al Habtoor with an article about the impact that the fund will have on area hunger, with remarks by Al Habtoor and Findley’s son, Craig Findley. The full article can be read here.