Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a very special event that I hope will become a prototype for similar events around the world.
On September 28, the Florida law firm of Berger Singerman hosted over 300 people at an event entitled Celebrate by Giving. The occasion was the Firm’s twentieth anniversary. What was unique was that instead of a night of self congratulatory speeches that is so typical for such an event, members of the Firm turned their celebration into a large giveaway to national and local charities. In addition to spearheading a campaign that raised $100,000 for hurricane relief efforts, members of the Firm donated an additional $150,000 to twenty local charities that they felt were doing exemplary work in the community.
Held in the festive atrium of the Museum of Science in Fort Lauderdale (FL), the focus of the evening was fun events through which distribution of the money was to be determined. All attendees got to help their favorite charity win money in one of three ways: choice, luck, and skill.
Every attendee got to make a choice as to the charity to receive a donation just for the participant being at the event. Then each attendee got to spin the wheel of fortune with lucky winners earning additional donations for their selected charity. And finally, everyone got an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in a hole-in-one contest on a miniature golf course set up in the atrium.
The festive setting, the great purpose, and the fun events made for a wonderful evening. Special kudos are most deserving for the Firm’s Marketing Director, Lori Rabinowitz, who planned and choreographed this very, very special event. (Lori is pictured above with Firm Co-CEO, Paul Singerman.)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more businesses would choose to conduct their celebrations by giving back to their communities in the manner that Berger Singerman did. If you have a business or organization interested in having such an event, I know that Lori Rabinowitz would be willing to point your event planner in the right direction.
If this relatively small law firm (50 attorneys) can have such an impact, just imagine what could happen if such celebrations were to spread around the world. Kudos to the leaders of this prominent Florida law firm for thinking up the concept and implementing it so well.
