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Community Corner

More Than 400 Attend RDC's 14th Annual Philanthropy Awards Breakfast

Keynote Speaker Liz Scott, Co-Executive Director, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Brings Audience to Tears; Seven Rocklanders Celebrated for Their Commitment to Giving

The 14th Annual RDC Philanthropy Day & Awards Breakfast held Nov. 7th, at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern, drew a record crowd of 430 people, and many were brought to tears as keynote speaker Liz Scott, Co-Executive Director, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, spoke of her four-year-old daughter Alex’s courageous battle with cancer, which gave birth to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.  The Foundation emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). At four and diagnosed with cancer Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since its inception the Foundation has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 300 pediatric cancer research projects nationally.

Ms. Scott told the standing-room-only crowd that no matter how young or small the project everyone has the opportunity to make a difference and that giving is not about yourself but what you do for others. Seven people who epitomize this in Rockland County, and one, Aliyah Schwartz, who is eight and the youngest, who along with her sisters -  Ashley, 17, and Angel, 12, were presented RDC’s 2013 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award for their giving to Jawonio. Since 2005, the girls, who live in New City, have raised $2,400 for the children of Jawonio’s Early Childhood services.

In addition to the Schwartz sisters, RDC Awards were presented to Outstanding Philanthropist -  S. Lisa Hayes, president and founder of Creative Financial Planning, Inc., for her generosity to Nyack Hospital and the Center for Safety & Change; Not-for-Profit Fundraising professional  - Stacey Kirschenbaum, ‎executive director, Foundations Charity Health systems at Bon Secours Health System; Corporate Leadership -  Better Homes and Gardens/Rand Realty Rand Family (accepting founder/owner Marsha Rand) for their commitment to United Hospice of Rockland and People to People; and Outstanding Volunteer - Roberta Leitner for her time helping Rockland Jewish Family Services and ARC of Rockland.  Ms. Leitner was joined by three gentlemen she knows serviced by ARC of Rockland, where she volunteers.

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The Philanthropy Day & Awards Breakfast is produced annually by members of Rockland Development Council (RDC), the professional trade association of 55 Rockland County nonprofits. The 2013 RDC Philanthropy Day & Awards Breakfast  was made possible by Diamond Sponsor -- Active International; Gold Sponsors -- Cane & Boniface, PC, Dominican College, High Tower/Strata Wealth Management, Orange & Rockland Utilities and The Historical Society of Rockland County; and Silver Sponsors -- Association for the Visually Impaired, Inc., Berard & Donahue CPA's PC, Center for Safety & Change, Inc., Child Care Resources of Rockland, Inc., Eastern Planning, Inc.,  GoldKap Consulting Group, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Head Start of Rockland, Inc., Jawonio, JCC Rockland, KeyBank, Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc., OpenGate Marketing Communications, Rockland County YMCA, Rockland Independent Living Center, St. Thomas Aquinas College, United Hospice of Rockland, Inc. and United Way of Rockland County, Inc.

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