Family, Friends, Good Health, Great Food, and Football!
Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been a time for gratitude, celebration and reflection. In honor of the holiday, we asked our CFO, Louis Shaff, to share what Thanksgiving means to him, and what he is especially grateful for this time of year…
In giving some thought to this day, what are a few things that I am thankful for this year? First, I am thankful for my family and friends. I was born under a lucky star and have been the recipient of two amazing parents, Belle and Eli Shaff. My good fortune has continued in life with my wife, Jennifer, and boys, Ethan and Sam. Additionally, throughout my life I have been blessed with great friends who have positively impacted my life in ways that are truly beyond measure. I will always be thankful for my sister, Paula Shaff; my high school friend, Jeff Wolpov; my mentor, Jeff Stern; college friends, Eric Deutsch, Evan Seigerman and Jason Cohen; and, to my law school friend, now partner in Cabana, who is truly like a brother, Chadd Mason. Without these people, my life would not be nearly as full and I would certainly not be the person I am today. So, to all of the above, and to many other family and friends, I am thankful for each of you!
Secondly, I am thankful for good health and LIFE. At a starting point, the odds of existing in this world are 1 in 10 2,685,000— yes, that’s a 10 followed by 2,685,000 zeroes! So, with that, I would suggest that we all wake up on Thanksgiving, and each day for that matter, thankful for our life, family, friends, good health and the opportunities that lie in front of us. We are all truly lucky to even be here!
Thirdly, I am thankful for the great food that will be on my table, the drink(s) that will be in my glass, and for football! Although my beloved NY Giants will not be playing this Thanksgiving, we will all have the opportunity to once again watch the Detroit Lions. This annual tradition began in 1934 and has continued unabated since that time, with the exception of World War II. The practice began when the Lions’ owner, George Richards, decided to play on the holiday in the hope of attracting more fans and selling more tickets. Somehow, through the years, and many terrible Lions teams, this tradition has continued.
So, with all of the above, and on behalf of our entire team at Cabana, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Go enjoy your families, friends, life, good health, great food, a few drinks and football!
-Louis Shaff, CFO