George A. Kessler , also known as the " Champagne King , " was a passenger on the in 1915 when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat . When he was fighting for his life in the cold waters of the Atlantic off the coast of Ireland , he vowed that if he survived , he would devote much of his time and substantial financial resources to a worthwhile cause . The cause he chose was assisting Allied soldiers blinded in the service . He later befriended Helen Keller and helped found the organization that became Helen Keller International
was torpedoed
Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
Helen Keller International