“I believe that every company in the private sector should do whatever they can to support and honor the men and women who have selflessly sacrificed so much to defend our country,” – founder George Feldstein
The Crestron Eagles Program was started by George Feldstein, Crestron’s founder. Mr. Feldstein was motivated to take action after speaking with Pete Baca, Crestron's Director of OCONUS Federal Sales and a retired U.S. Marine. Mr. Baca visited Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital and Camp Lejeune and saw firsthand the optimism and determination of the wounded soldiers and Marines. When they were not in physical therapy working hard to recover, they spent time in the lounge or recreation room - but these areas offered few amenities or comfort. After speaking with Mr. Feldstein about the basic conditions in the lounges for these heroes and their families, Mr. Feldstein started the program, which donates state-of-the-art home theatre systems to military hospitals.
The first donation was in 2008, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Following donations were made to bases and medical centers all across the United States, including to the Wounded Warriors Battalion - East at Camp Lejeune, NC; the Wounded Warriors Battalion – East at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD; the Fisher House, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston (near San Antonio, TX); and the Wounded Warrior Detachment Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI.
The home theatre is much more than entertainment to the men and women undergoing long-term occupational and physical therapy. Not only do these systems make these areas more comfortable for the veterans, they are also vital for emotional health and a complete recovery. Colonel Terrence McKenrick, Commandant of Walter Reed, explained that, "Before the theater was installed, soldiers would stay in their rooms all day with the doors closed - shut off and withdrawn from life," recalls Col. McKenrick. "This gets them out of seclusion and reconnected with the outside world."
"We really appreciate the support and kindness that Crestron and their partners have shown us," said Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Hartless. "This theater makes a huge difference in the lives of our wounded warriors." (regarding the walter reed donation)
“We are proud that Crestron’s technology is at the backbone of this extraordinary teaching facility, and that we are able to make a difference in so many lives,” Randy Klein, CEO of Crestron.
Crestron founder George Feldstein and his wife Lynda learned about Orbis for the first time when they encountered their Flying Eye Hospital – an airplane converted to a teaching hospital – at the airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. An avid pilot and aviation enthusiast, Feldstein was impressed by the aircraft and the operating room aboard the plane - but he immediately saw how Crestron technology could advance their mission.
Orbis is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to give communities in developing countries access to proper eye care and prevent blindness. Their Flying Eye Hospital travels around the world to underserved areas to treat patients who are in danger of losing their sight, and also trains local doctors from the classroom aboard the aircraft so that these doctors can continue to provide eye care after the plane has flown to a new location.
Through a $300,000 donation of technology and services to the third-generation Flying Eye Hospital unveiled in 2016, Crestron is helping Orbis in their mission to prevent blindness. Crestron's latest DigitalMedia™ technology allows the transmission of high-definition, uncompressed audio and video from the operating room to the classroom.
Crestron's partnership with Orbis, which began in 2013, was the passion project of founder George Feldstein. Now, thanks in part to his vision, The Flying Eye Hospital is making a difference for people all around the world. “We’re thrilled to see our solutions have such a profound impact on the success of this unique teaching facility,” said Dan Feldstein, Chairman and COO, Crestron. “The systems we donated to the Flying Eye Hospital are in keeping with the work we’ve done in the corporate and residential markets, and we’re extremely proud to be part of such an important mission.”
"Through Crestron’s incredibly generous donation we are able to enhance the teaching capabilities on our plane. Their technology enables a level of collaboration, communication, and learning that we would never have thought possible,” said Rob Ranck, President & CEO of Orbis.