Happy Thanksgiving: A Message from Danforth Center Chair Todd Schnuck

For more than thirty-four years, my family has carried on a tradition. Each month, my siblings, cousin, and I get together to discuss our family, our business, and our community. Somewhere along the way, we began inviting others we admired to join us at these meetings and share their insights and advice with us.

Bill Danforth was the first person we asked.

Of course, he obliged, and of course, we talked about food. Food has the power to bring people together—and so did Bill Danforth. Thanks to his genuine nature, he was able to cultivate a community that brought his dream of the Danforth Center to life. Every Thanksgiving he would reach out to those individuals and express his heartfelt gratitude for their generosity and kindness.

It’s another tradition important to carry on.

Because of your support, you have given us much to be thankful for this year. In 2022, Danforth Center scientists made a breakthrough discovery in their efforts to develop disease-resistant cassava and secured approval for improved cowpea in Ghana. And just last month, the first-ever Golden Rice harvest was underway in the Philippines. These achievements would certainly have made Bill proud—not of himself, but of what we have accomplished together.

Bill’s generosity and humility were an example for us to follow, and I am grateful for his example. He continued to inspire right up until the end of his life. With his final estate gift to the Danforth Center, he helped us all take a step closer toward a better world for future generations.

As the everyday joys of life we so often take for granted yet again take center stage in our minds and hearts, I’m grateful for Bill and so many who have joined him in his noble vision. Thank you for helping continue his legacy through your support of the Danforth Center.

From my family to yours: have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,