"We particularly appreciate those who have supported the event since its inception in 2007. Over that period of time, we've doubled our dinner event attendance and hope to continue to break our own records in the future. We aim to make an even-greater impact on our tri-state communities in the future," Brinkman stated.
At the event, the IICF NY/Northeast division awarded grants to 14 not-for-profit organizations in the focus areas of education, children at risk, disaster preparedness, and the environment that serve people and families across the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area.
Zurich Financial Services was honored with the IICF 2011 "Double I" award for influence in the industry and impact in the community. In the past 10 years, Zurich and its employees have provided $14 million in charitable donations, based in large part on the company's "A Time For Giving" annual workplace giving program.
The keynote speaker was Katie Couric, host of "Katie" (premiering September 2012), ABC News contributor and co-founder of The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health. Presenters at the fundraising event included:
*Gen. Richard B. Myers, USAF, Retired, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
*Denis Leary, actor, comedian, author and founder of The Leary Firefighters Foundation.
*Archie Manning, NFL great, who presented the IICF award to Mike Foley, chief executive officer, North America commercial and regional chairman of the Americas for Zurich.
*Paul Krump, president of Chubb Commercial & Specialty Insurance, served as dinner chairman.
IICF NY/Northeast division accepts donations; for information, please contact Elizabeth Myatt, executive director, at (917) 544-08958597 or emyatt@IICF.com.
About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation was established in 1994 and is completely directed and funded by the insurance industry. The foundation helps communities and enriches lives by uniting the collective strengths of the industry to provide grants, volunteer service and leadership. Since its inception in 1994, the Industry Foundation has contributed more than $17 million and 155,000 volunteer hours to hundreds of community nonprofit organizations. IICF is a registered not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.