YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Giving Tuesday served as the backdrop for an event yesterday that celebrated individuals and organizations for their charitable work.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Ozarks Region Chapter presented a handful of awards at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon held at DoubleTree by Hilton, according to a news release.
The AFP award winners are:
• Purple Party, Fundraising Campaign and/or Event of the Year.
• Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., Philanthropic Business/Corporation of the Year.
• Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks, Philanthropic Foundation of the Year.
• Drs. Alan and Meera Scarrow, Philanthropist of the Year.
• Christine Temple, Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year. [Editor’s note: Temple is Springfield Business Journal’s executive editor.]
• Bennett Potter, Youth Philanthropist of the Year.
• Lizzie Vigneaux, Fundraising Professional of the Year.
• Kathryn Wall, Fundraising Rising Star of the Year.
During the event yesterday, Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Humanitarian Award went to Heather Lyons-Burney. A volunteer pharmacist and board president for My Neighbor’s Charitable Pharmacy , Lyons-Burney was announced as the award recipient in October.
Also yesterday, Brandy Harris, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc., was presented Ozarks Health Advocacy Foundation's Child Health Advocate of the Year award, according to the release.
"We are thrilled to celebrate National Philanthropy Day and honor those who have made a significant difference in our community," said Jamie Fields, president of the AFP O zarks Region Chapter, in the release. "Their selfless acts of kindness and unwavering support have created a ripple effect of positive change, and we are grateful for their dedication to making our community a better place for all."
The judges were Thomas Douglas, Nicki Donnelson, Andrea McKinney, Temple and John Russell. Judges were asked to recuse themselves in the event of a conflict of interest.
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I hope that at some point, perhaps, as early as next year, the humanitarian award could go to the group of people that work so hard to provide warm shelter for Springfield’s homeless on those frigid nights when temperatures drop below freezing. Many of these volunteers work with limited resources, and they scramble to find venues, many of them smaller churches.