| Events, Support, Awareness Updates |
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| Gift For Life & National Stationery Show Team-Up For 2016 AIDS Walk New York For the fifth consecutive year, Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries' sole national charitable organization, has partnered with the National Stationery Show (NSS) to participate in AIDS Walk New York, a charity fundraiser in New York City on Sunday, May 15 – the opening day of the Show. The Gift For Life/National Stationery Show team will recruit walkers to raise funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS by participating in both the actual 10K course that starts and ends at Central Park as well as in a “virtual walk” through the aisles of the Show, which runs May 15-18, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Over the last four years of collaboration, the Gift for Life/NSS team has raised more than $80,000 for Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the beneficiary of AIDS Walk New York. In the last two years alone, the team has been recognized with “GOLD Team” status, which is bestowed upon teams raising more than $25,000. Their total donations included a generous $5,000 matching grant from Gift For Life’s charity partner, DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. With DIFFA on board again for 2016 with another $5,000 matching grant, the team has set a fundraising goal of $30,000 for this May. “We’re delighted to bring the walk into the National Stationery Show and to involve exhibitor and attendees directly in our fundraising efforts again this year,” said Patti Stracher, Vice President, GLM, and NSS Director. “I am personally looking forward to supporting the Gift For Life/National Stationery Show team by wearing a pedometer during the Show!” Industry members and friends are invited to join the Gift For Life/National Stationery Show team as both walkers and/or as donors. The 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) AIDS Walk New York begins on Sunday, May 15, at 10am in Central Park, or at 9am at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center when the National Stationery Show opens its doors. For four years we have consistently – and in fact exponentially – increased the amount of money we have raised for this worthy cause,” said Su Hilty, Gift for Life/NSS team co-captain and honorary GFL Board member. “With the help of my co-captain, Caroline Kennedy, the stationery industry’s support, and a matching grant from DIFFA, we hope to not only meet our 2016 fundraising goal, but also to beat the record funds raised in 2015!” Now in its 31st year, AIDS Walk New York has inspired nearly 890,000 people to walk and millions more to donate, raising more than $144 million to combat HIV and AIDS. The funds raised at the event remain a vital lifeline sustaining the prevention, care, and advocacy programs GMHC provides for the thousands of men, women, and families affected by the disease in the tri-state area. The proceeds also benefit dozens of other HIV/AIDS service organizations that are able to participate as teams and raise funds through the Community Partnership Program (CPP). For more information, visit www.aidswalk.net/newyork. To join the Gift for Life/NSS team or to donate, visit https://ny.aidswalk.net/GFLNSS2016, or contact team co-captains, Su Hilty, at HiltyBrady@aol.com, or Caroline Kennedy at kebbiekcaroline@gmail.com. |
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| Save the Dates Plan now to attend Gift for Life events being hosted at summer markets in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York City! Plus, mark your 2017 calendars for Gift for Life’s 25th Anniversary Party for Life Fundraiser! ICON HONORS: Thursday, July 14 in conjunction with Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market Up on the Roof: Monday, August 1 in conjunction with Las Vegas Market Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ Retailer Excellence Awards: Sunday, August 21 in conjunction with NY NOW Gift For Life’s 25th Annual Party for Life: Monday, February 6 in conjunction with NY NOW |
| GFL Welcomes Kimberly Wahlberg and Caitlin Kelly to the Board Kim Wahlberg, president of the Kimberly Wahlberg Company, brings more than 30 years gift and home industry experience to the board. She runs her Northeast and Mid-Atlantic-based sales agency with a specialization in nationally-recognized companies in the gift and women’s segment of the industry. Prior to working as a sales representative, she was a home/decorative goods buyer for G. Fox ~ Filene’s Department Store. Wahlberg’s prior charitable work was always based in her local community and the communities that her reps and retailers are in. She felt the need to find an organization that resonated with everyone in her agency, and after the 24th annual Party for Life, she and her agency realized that Gift For Life was the perfect fit. “I’ve been a member of Gift for Life for many years and gone to many of the events,” she says. “This year, when I brought my reps to Party for Life, they were quite taken with the evening, the speeches and everything that Gift for Life is doing.” |
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| Caitlin Kelly, senior account manager of Whereoware, has nearly seven years experience with email marketing strategy and website production. In her current role with Whereoware, she helps key accounts increase online revenue and optimizes the customer journey. Kelly, who replaces Eric Dean, CEO of Whereoware, on the Board, will serve on Gift for Life’s Marketing & Communications Committee. Gift for Life was one of Kelly’s first accounts as an intern for Whereoware so she says getting more involved in the organization in a strategic way is a great opportunity for her to come full circle. Volunteering is something Kelly greatly enjoys—in her free time, she volunteers at a local homeless shelter monthly and she’s an active volunteer at her church. |
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| UMBRA—The Gift that Keeps on Giving with $13K+ Umbra has been donating a portion of the proceeds from its Little Red Dress to Gift for Life since April 2013. To date, more than $13,000 has been raised. Part of the Little Black Dress family of jewelry organizers, the Little Red Dress was designed by Matt Carr, Umbra’s Director of Design. It provides jewelry storage with 39 clear pockets on the front side and 24 hook and loop closures on the reverse. The hanger swivels 360 degrees for easy viewing in a closet or over a door. |
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Chavez for Charity Raises More Than $44K for GFL |
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| Gift for Life Founder featured in NSS’s Paper Clips Peter Schauben, founder of Gift for Life, and partner at Appleman Schauben, reflects on the launch of the industry’s sole national charitable organization at the National Stationery Show in 1992. See his story here.  |
| Dining By Design 2016 A Success DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS hosted its signature event March 17-21 in support of its mission to raise funds for HIV/AIDS prevention, education and direct care. Their 19th Annual DINING BY DESIGN combined a worthy cause and exceptional design into a 5-day event that hosted 2,000 people at the two fundraisers and 45,000 throughout the week. This year’s event raised nearly $800,000 toward DIFFA’s grant making efforts. DINING BY DESIGN featured table-top designs from almost 40 local and international designers, architects, manufacturers and retail brands. Each table sponsor transformed a raw space into a dining display, featuring vibrant colors, their latest products and a variety of themes—many tying in cause-related messaging to further raise awareness. Longtime DIFFA supporter and DINING BY DESIGN Media Sponsor Interior Design incorporated “HOPE, LOVE, DIFFA” into their table design, a phrase that truly embodied the values and goals of the event. DINING BY DESIGN NY 2016 SPONSORS: Event sponsors included: Henredon and Patron Tequila; Media Sponsors: Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Manhattan Magazine and The New York Times; Diamond Sponsors: 1stdibs, Benjamin Moore & Cosentino, Crate and Barrel and Gensler + 3form + Herman Miller; Platinum Sponsors, Gaggenau, Kravet, Inc., M Moser Associates, LAB at Rockwell Group & Roche Bobois, Rockwell Group + KNOLL and Sunbrella; Gold Sponsors, Arteriors, Bolon, CIRC0 ROUGE-DALLAS, Design Within Reach, Echo, Luxe Interiors + Design, Marc Blackwell, New Growth Designs, Nourison, Poltrona Frau, Ralph Lauren Home, Robert Allen @ Home, SA Baxter and Ingrao Inc as well as Industry Sponsor, New York Design Center. |
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