Eugene Cash is the epitome of generosity and kindness. From his time in the US Air Force to his skillfully crafted dollhouses, his dedication to his community is an inspiration to us all.
Eugene enlisted in the Air Force when he was only 18 years old and proceeded to attend flight school, where he received his wings. His son, Lieutenant Colonel Steve Cash, and his son-in-law, Colonel Rob Hughes also served in the Air Force for over two decades. Eugene served selflessly and bravely for an amazing 25 years. After two decades of service, including a deployment to Johnston Atoll AFB, 750 miles from Hawaii, he retired as a Colonel in 1976.
In addition to his feats in the Air Force, Eugene has experience and knowledge in the construction field. He first applied this knowledge to a handcrafted dollhouse for his daughter, Brenda, in 1989 who still helps with the colors, floorplan, and the selection of furniture. This dollhouse took years to complete due to its level of detail and intricate artistry. Shortly thereafter, he began to build them for his nieces and grandchildren. In addition to those he created for his family, Eugene built, restored, and donated multiple dollhouses to the Make-a-Wish® Foundation. He has crafted 30 over his lifetime, 10 of which were original designs. Incredibly, each dollhouse is equipped with functional light switches, doorbells, and other home amenities.
Despite having retired from the Air Force, Eugene’s passion for service has continued on. His involvement in the Air Force has made him extremely dedicated to helping military families in any way he can. During his retirement he moved to Florida, where he first encountered Tunnel to Towers team members at a Let Us Do Good Village groundbreaking. Here, he described his dollhouses and expressed his interest in donating them to program recipients. Since then, he has donated dollhouses to 6 different families with young children, including the Harris family, the Magner family, the Magli family, the Baxter family, the Joslyn family, and the Thornton family. These were received with such joy and gratitude that he is currently building a new dollhouse for another family.
Eugene goes on daily walks and has begun training during his retirement years. His goal is to increase his activity in order to prepare for the T2T 2024 5K Run & Walk NYC in September. In addition to his anticipated participation in the 5K, he hopes to meet both members of the Foundation as well as the program recipients. He looks forward to remaining involved in the Foundation.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation would like to thank Eugene for his contributions to our mission and to our T2T family. His generosity and service has and will continue to help us do good.