A continuing community commitment

Welcome to the 2008 Pillar Awards. Medical Mutual of Ohio, along with SmartBusiness Network, is proud to be a foundingsponsor of the annual Pillar Award forCommunity Service. For the 11th consecutive year, we honor companies for theirgood deeds and contributions to worthycauses in Northeast Ohio.

Leading by example and helping toimprove the quality of life for NortheastOhioans are what this award is all about,and I congratulate this year’s Pillar Awardrecipients for their understanding of “commitment to community.”

At Medical Mutual, we will celebrate our75th anniversary next year, and having beenaround that long, we understand the commitment and what it takes to help improve Cleveland and the communities we serve.We strive to live up to that responsibility ineverything we do.

That being said, it is only fitting that oneof the annual Pillar Awards is a specialS.H.A.R.E. award, given to the companywhose employees best exemplify the valuesof Medical Mutual’s volunteer employeeS.H.A.R.E. committee.

S.H.A.R.E., which stands for serve, help,aid, reach and educate, is the heart and soulof Medical Mutual’s charitable giving effort.Each year, this committee helps coordinatemore than two dozen community eventsinvolving nearly half of the company’s 2,500employees.

Every year, our employees devote thousands of hours and raise thousands of dollars in support of worthy organizations andcauses in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

“Improving the communities we serve” isa common theme for all of the Pillar Awardrecipients over the past 11 years and, onceagain, this year, Medical Mutual of Ohio ishonored to be in such outstanding company.

KENT CLAPP is chairman, president and CEO of Medical Mutualof Ohio.