News
Five Great Causes
December 18, 2012
| No question, CRE folks are the savviest in the business world, and we've found that they're also among the most generous. Here's how. |
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| BLINKNOW— Egis7's Ed Doyne spent several months in Surkhet, Nepal in 2011 helping his niece Maggie Doyne, who built the Kopila Valley Children's Home and School. Begun when Maggie was all of 19 and backpacking in Nepal as part of her gap year travels, the BlinkNow Foundation opened first a home for children orphaned by a civil war (population now about 40) and then a school (population 300, and 55% female) in an impoverished area a hard day's drive from Kathmandu. Maggie has been running the foundation for seven years. "She is an amazing woman," says her proud uncle. Among the school's wish list items, a lot of things we take for granted:Backpacks, uniforms, medical kits and Vitamin A. |
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| OPERATION HAPPY HOLIDAYS— First American's Paul Keely let us know that our favorite title company is supporting US Marines in Afghanistan with care packages this holiday season. First American employees packed a conference room with 11 boxes of items to be shipped overseas in time for Christmas. "We appreciate what the brave young men and women of our Armed Forces do for our country and are hopeful our small gift makes this holiday season a little brighter!" Paul tells us. |
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| VASHON TOY DRIVE— At Skanska, Santa's toy sack comes in the form of a flatbed truck. The company is working with the Vashon Island Kiwanis Club on its annual toy drive for a second consecutive year. Skanska's Kathleen Corrigan tells us "We had a great time with it last year when the team here really came through with a truckload of toys we took over on the ferry." Skanska, which is also building the new Vashion Island High School, saw the toy drive as another way to give back to the community. In addition to the toys, it also provided a $2,300 donation. |
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| GINGERBREAD VILLAGE FOR JDRF— We couldn't get enough of the best edible art exhibits in town, currently on display at the Seattle Sheridan. Top architects like Callison, Weber Thompson, and Mulvanny G2 have collaborated with the Sheridan's culinary team to build gingerbread masterpieces for the past 20 years. There's no charge to walk down gingerbread lane, though there is a donation box for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is committed to funding research to find a cure for Type I diabetes, a cause especially dear to Larry Benaroya, among others. This year's theme: Once Upon a Time. Above: Weber Thompson's Alice in Wonderland creation. How artfully delicious! |
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| THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION— Daniels Real Estate's Kevin Daniels is on the board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which helped save First United Methodist Church from being replaced by an office tower a few years ago. Kevin, who's very big on preservation, is quick to point out that building green often means not building new but making the best of structures already in existence. "It had to do with saving a national treasure," Kevin says. |
