Doug Eaton was just a few years into his financial career in 2001 as he watched helplessly from his Manhattan office as terrorists flew commercial jets into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, Tap Into Coral Springs reported.
With an overwhelming desire to protect his young family, he opted to start a new life in Parkland, which was considered one of Florida’s safest cities, the publication noted.
However, 17 years later, a disturbed young man 17 students, teachers and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and injured 17 more in 2018, leaving his family and community struggling with pain and anger.
This time, the 56-year-old financial planner would not run away. He transformed his feelings of helplessness into a sense of purpose by committing his life to drawing attention to gun violence and helping to build safer communities, the publication explained.
Consequently, Doug delved into volunteer work for nonprofits in Coral Springs, Parkland and across the nation by making calls, planning activities, donating, and simply showing up to help with whatever is needed for the causes, and for whoever asked.
In his profession, Doug helps financially-vulnerable clients develop strategic plans to build up savings and investments, send their children to college and prepare for a comfortable retirement. He is especially interested in helping women who have been battered or struggled in other ways.
Through his discovered purpose, Eaton raises money to help send disadvantaged children affected by gun violence to summer camp in honor of Scott Beigel, a teacher, running coach and summer camp enthusiast who was killed in the school shooting.
A DODO — Dad of Daughters Only — Doug embarked on his mission not just to support a daughter who attended Parkland High School and firmly believes in creating safer communities, but to show her that they were “in this together,” he told the paper.
The rest of Eaton’s inspiring story can be found at Tap into Coral Springs.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.