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(New York, NY, December 16, 2014) – New York Cares, the
largest volunteer management organization in New York City,
celebrated its 2014 Winter Benefit on Monday, December 15th at
the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan. The
evening drew 550 guests and raised more than $1.2 million.
Funds raised at the Winter Benefit support the thousands of
programs New York Cares creates each year to respond to the
needs of disadvantaged New Yorkers.
This year, New York Cares honored OMERS for the significant
fundraising and volunteer efforts of its New York office.
With fewer than 40 employees, the OMERS New York office has
raised more than $100,000 for New York Cares in the past
three years. There has been 100% participation in
fundraising and volunteer efforts, which include working
with students in a low-income New York neighborhood,
assisting revitalization efforts at Gantry Plaza State Park,
and participating in the coat drive for people affected by
Hurricane Sandy.
OMERS is one of Canada’s largest pension plans and makes
investments on behalf of its members through operating
investment entities Borealis Infrastructure, OMERS Capital
Markets, OMERS Private Equity and Oxford Properties Group.
“OMERS is focused on providing sustainable pensions for
workers in the province of Ontario, and we place a strong
emphasis on giving back to the communities where we live and
work. Our support for New York Cares is 100%
employee-driven, with every member of our New York-based
team participating in efforts including personal giving and
volunteer initiatives. New York Cares is making a
meaningful, positive impact in the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people at-risk, and we are proud to receive
their recognition,” said Michael Graham, Executive Managing
Director at OMERS Private Equity.
“New York Cares is delighted to recognize and honor the
outstanding efforts of our corporate partner, OMERS. Their
generous participation in fundraising and commitment to
volunteerism have played a critical role in helping New York
Cares meet the pressing needs of over 400,000 at-risk New
Yorkers this past year,” said Paul J. Taubman, Board
President, New York Cares.
New York Cares also honored Diana Tamashiro Folla as this
year’s “Young Leader Extraordinaire.” Diana, 22, is a
first-generation American born in New York, two years after
her parents moved from Brazil. She was the beneficiary of
free SAT preparation courses offered by New York Cares.
Diana comes from a hard-working family that highly values
education. As a high school student, Diana knew that to
attend the college of her dreams, she would need SAT scores
high enough to help her win much needed scholarship funds.
With the tutoring assistance of a New York Cares volunteer,
Diana’s SAT scores rose 400 points. This past spring she
graduated from Cornell, her top choice school. She is
currently based in Madrid, where she is teaching English
before applying to graduate school.
“The fact that New York Cares makes a story like mine
possible for more than 1,000 high school juniors every year
is truly amazing. The free SAT preparation course is only
one of the many ways that New York Cares is there for
struggling New Yorkers when they need it most,” said Ms.
Folla.
“Diana’s success is a shining example of how an individual’s
hard work, paired with the dedicated volunteers in our SAT
preparation program, can result in a degree from a
prestigious college. We are thrilled to honor Diana, and we
wish her continued success,” said Gary Bagley, Executive
Director of New York Cares.
New York Cares was delighted to once again welcome Harold
Ford, Jr., former
Congressman from Tennessee, as the evening’s emcee, and NBA
legend Bob Lanier as the always lively and talented
auctioneer.
About New York Cares
New York Cares is New York City’s largest volunteer
management organization. New York Cares runs vital programs
for 1,300 nonprofits, public schools, and city agencies to
help people in need throughout the five boroughs, and does
so at no cost to the recipient organizations. Since 1987,
New York Cares has made it easy for all New Yorkers to work
together to strengthen the city; last year, we provided
critical services to more than 400,000 at-risk New Yorkers.
For more information, visit
www.newyorkcares.org |