Every year during the holiday season, our Florida Conference Venue team joins together to highlight the importance of charitable giving and encourages others to give back in any way they can. Gestures large and small can brighten the lives of children in need, and in the spirit of giving, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center team held a toy drive benefiting 4KIDS of South Florida. 4KIDS is an organization that works tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
Filling the Convention Center van with hundreds of toys purchased or donated by Convention Center staff members, members of our team set out to deliver the gifts in person. “The children were excited to receive the gifts and seemed to truly feel our love and care,” said Kevin Kowalik, Convention Center human resources manager. “Likewise, it was wonderful for all of us to experience the thrill of giving and helping these children have a happy holiday season.”
The goal of 4KIDS of South Florida is to protect, provide and offer permanent solutions for children and their families so they can have a hope-filled future. 4KIDS has more than 100 licensed foster homes and foster families providing love and care to foster kids in the tri-county area. In addition, 4KIDS has 12 family-style homes that serve young adults, teens and difficult- to-place sibling groups.
Since opening in September 1991, our Convention Center staff has reached out to every corner of the community through an array of worthy organizations, including Neighbors 4 Neighbors, Taste of the Nation, Habitat for Humanity of Broward County, Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Broward Outreach Center, Women in Distress and SOS Children’s Village of Florida.
“Our employees truly do make a difference in the lives of people who are in need,” said Mark Gatley, regional general manager of the SMG-managed Broward County Convention Center. “We recognize the importance of helping others and are committed to this community.”
The Center’s generosity is a year-round commitment, helping meet the many needs of the community, from donating food to those in need before Thanksgiving, to assisting others with hurricane preparedness, participating in the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk and other worthy causes.
“We’re constantly thinking of organizations we should support and ways we can help the community,” said Kowalik. “It’s important for the Convention Center and its employees to have an active role in the community. There are so many people who are less fortunate than we are, and thankfully we’re able to help whenever we can.”
This article was previously published at the www.ftlauderdalecc.com blog.
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