Manoli's Jewelers: open hands and hearts

Valerie and Manoli Savvenas, who have owned Manoli’s Jewelers, 2700 S. Glenstone Ave., for 27 years, received the 2005 Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award from Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

AFP’s National Philanthropy Day, now in its 20th year, was commemorated with a luncheon for 200 people at Highland Springs, where Manoli’s Jewelers was honored with a plaque.

“I nominated Valerie and Manoli as the Outstanding Small Business because of their terrific work with all kinds of nonprofit organizations in the Springfield area,” said Trudy Pischer, senior director of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri, 1212 W. Lombard. She’s also a current member and past president of the Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“They’ve supported hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the years, and for such a small business, that’s phenomenal,” Pischer added.

Pischer’s nomination form said that since 1999, Manoli’s Jewelers has donated a total of $42,000 in cash and in-kind gifts to 28 area organizations.

Valerie Savvenas, who has sat on the board of directors for Boys & Girls Town of Missouri for nearly a year, felt humbled by the award and hopes other business owners realize how powerful they can be when it comes to helping those less fortunate.

“It’s amazing (how) with one idea and one desire, you can do all kinds of things. We’re a small business. It’s just my husband and myself, and sometimes one of our kids helps us,” she said.

“I believe that any of us could be in that situation. A lot of us go about our daily lives and we don’t think about the people who are in these situations and it could happen to any of us. These kids have usually been through severe abuse and they need our help. Thank God there’s a place that can help them because that can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter how much money you have,” Savvenas said.

Savvenas created Diamond Night in 2002. The event, she said, is an elegant evening of fine dining with independent jewelers contributing jewelry for a silent auction.

“The first event, we raised $5,000 with 76 patrons,” Pischer said. In 2005, Diamond Night raised $30,000 with about 200 guests.

“These funds were used to support Boys & Girls Town of Missouri’s emergency shelter for children, who last year sheltered nearly 150 Greene and Christian County children who had been directly removed from dangerous, life-threatening situations,” Pischer said. “Annually, our emergency shelter has had to overcome a nearly $100,000 budget shortfall. Diamond Night funds have offset 30 percent of that shortfall.”

For the 2006 event, scheduled Feb. 11 at The Tower Club, Pischer anticipates 300 people in attendance and hopes to raise more than $50,000.

Savvenas said the public is welcome at Diamond Night. Tickets are $200 per couple. Sponsorship for a table of 10 is $1,250.

“Having a jewelry store, once in a while we’d donate to things. But it wasn’t until my youngest son turned 18 six years ago that I thought I’ve never done anything really very much with charity and I wanted to do something,” Savvenas said. She served as a volunteer for Court Appointed Special Advocates before learning of the needs of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri.

Savvenas describes herself as a hands-on person and, once she had the idea for Diamond Night, she didn’t turn it over to someone else to coordinate.

How, however, she is assisted by a committee and co-chair Sue Carol Terry, recipient of AFP’s 2005 Individual Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award.

“We have lots of businesses that help,” Savvenas added. They include Cornerstone Jewelers, Lockmiller’s, Cornerstone fine Jeweler, Hocklander Jewelry, Wand’s Jewelry and Endless Time & Jewelry.

Businesses that contribute $500 or more in jewelry for the silent auction receive two free tickets to Diamond Night.

“A lot of people donate a lot more than that. And it varies. They can donate whatever works for them. Sometimes they don’t know what they’re going to donate until a couple of weeks before the event,” Savvenas said.

Previous recipients of the Outstanding Small Business award are Rick’s Automotive, 2004; Corporate Business Systems, 2002; and Springfield Trust Co., 2001.