Shriners Receive $10 Million Gift

You see them at parades--The Shriners. And most of us know about their philanthropic work treating burned and crippled children worldwide. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the U.S. Patients at Shriners Hospitals do not pay anything for medical care. That idea wasn't lost on Dorothy Morris.

Morris, who lived in Semmes, passed away in 2007. But even before she died she was talking with Shriners' officials about establishing a medical facility in Mobile. Not about one of the Shriners Hospitals--but something new--a rehabilitation center. To help get the ball rolling she left the Shriners timberland worth more than $10 Million.

In her will Morris asked that a rehabilitation center be built in Mobile. But she left all the decisions up to the Shriners headquarters in Tampa. Local Shriners like John Tyson, Sr., a past potentate of the Abba Shrine Temple in Mobile were fast to start making plans. Those plans include a retreat environment for children and parents in one of the parcels of land left to them by Ms. Morris. There are thirteen in all. The idea is to build the rehab center on one parcel and use timber proceeds from the others to help support it.

It took three years to get Ms. Morris' estate through Probate Court--but the Shriners were handed the deed to the land on Monday. Members of the Shrine headquarters in Tampa are expected to visit Mobile in the coming weeks to take a look at the rehab project. It would be the first of its kind for the Shriners organization.