The thought of forming a foundation which would help handicapped people did not occur to me all at once. It has been ripening for a long time as the pieces of puzzle were gradually fitting together. During my former stay in Canada I saw how companies can support projects which would not have developed without their contribution. I witnessed how companies can help in areas that state can reach only with difficulty or not at all. I met many people who were working for various foundations, and I shared their joy when their activity led to a concrete successful result.
“The feeling of joy when your help brings about an uplifting result is unique.”
I realized that my grandfather Ing. Ladislav Dráb had previously been engaged in similar activities. In the second half of the 1920s he returned from his studies in France and started up an energetics business. His enterprise was successful, however, at the same time the whole world was already heading towards the Great Depression. It was ignited in 1929 by the crash of New York’s Stock Exchange and it gradually spread from the USA to the whole world, including Czechoslovakia. Without any hesitation my grandfather devoted himself to help his acquaintances and later on other people hit by the crisis.
The culminating point when I told myself “I can actually do the same” was marked by my collaboration with the former US President Bill Clinton. I invited him for a conference about energetics which was organized in Prague by our company, the CE Group. Our purely professional relationship developed further and I got personally invited for a lot of events held by the Clinton Foundation. I gladly got involved in those prestigious happenings and I saw that international cooperation of organizations having one single goal - helping where it is needed - is possible.
I witnessed how a foundation can help people solve difficult situations that an ordinary person from a developed country could not have imagined. I again realized that the operation of such a foundation can change lives of people in a fundamental way. Even though it often seems impossible to help everyone and everywhere simultaneously, and although new problems always arise, we cannot give up because we are doing something of a genuine value. That is why I decided to establish my own foundation and thereby join the people who are trying to help others.
Mgr. Ladislav Dráb
Our foundation wants to help generally everywhere we see someone with a disability.
However, there are areas on which we want to focus our attention more vigorously; either because we consider them significant enough to obtain preferential help, or because we possess better prerequisites for solving of such problems.
In the field of healthcare we are helping people suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sklerosis (abbreviated ALS),for which we have arranged free rental of equipment for the disabled. We also help people who suffer from autism spectrum disorders, by the integration into society and the development of empathy. We are helping patients to pay for personal assistants and special hours of behavioral therapy that is able to prepare children at a young age for life.
“The general mission of the Drab Foundation is to help everywhere it is needed, especially in the field of healthcare, education and culture.”
By supporting the financing of lunches for children from underprivileged families, we are motivating students to a better school attendance and better learning achievements. Scholarships for Czech students to Tiger Woods Learning Center, with which we closed a partnership at the end of the 2014, offers children aged between 12 and 16 years a unique opportunity in the form of a two week educational course in California.
By cultural and sports events we point out the problems of today and offer the opportunity for people to contribute to charitable projects. We also support the creators of culture and we pay the tours of talented bands and support a series of top athletes.
Our projects in a nutshell: Autism, ALS, Lunches for children, scholarships for TWLC, Cultural activities
Anyone can ask us for help: I need help
The first steps our foundation are financed by our founder Ladislav Dráb out of his personal resources. He has actively contributed to charity for many years. Through the Drab Foundation these contributions are now becoming more sophisticated and effective.
The activity of our foundation in the following phase will be funded primarily from the resources gained through cooperative activities with other foundations. Notably the charity races, sports tournaments, cultural and educational programs. People can also contribute by buying common things in our shop or by purchasing valuable souvenirs at our auction.
Then, there is a payment system where the physical or legal person can determine the amount of the contribution and the goal of the fund. So it has a unique opportunity to target their donation on a project or an individual.