Working to Give: Philanthropies & Philanthropic Work

A staggering $850,000 was raised last weekend to support research, education, clinical staff and patient support services at the Hoag Hospital. The Foundation’s 48th annual Christmas Carol Ball included over 520 people who came to the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point on December 6th. The event included live music, auctions, food and even a performance by figure skaters on an ice rink that was set up inside the ballroom.

The event chairs, Tracy and Roger Kiwan, in a note on the Hoag Hospital Foundation website wrote,

“Tracy and I are honored to be serving as Chairs for the 48th Annual Christmas Carol Ball, benefiting Hoag. In considering attending the 48th Annual Christmas Carol Ball, please know this is not only a special way to celebrate the holiday season, it’s an opportunity for us all to show our support for Hoag, one of our treasured community assets. As health care delivery continues to evolve, community support is more important than ever to assist Hoag in remaining an innovative health care leader.  Should you be considering underwriting this lovely event, please note that all gifts of $10,552 or above can be designated to the Hoag institute or area of your choice. Thank you in advance for your support of Hoag. Your participation will make an impact on the success of this year’s event.”

In a fascinating new study, Chattanoogans came out as extremely generous. The study of tax filings released Monday showed that Chattanoogans on average donated at least 50% more of their disposable income to charities and religious groups than did the typical American.

Those in Chattanooga think there are easy explanations, but it’s still a bit of a mystery why these numbers are what they are. As Pete Cooper, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga said, “Chattanooga is a generous town and continues with a culture of giving from people of all income levels. Among the wealthy, there has long been a philosophy of charitable giving which helped establish some of the state’s biggest foundations here decades ago. But among low- and middle-income families there is also a commitment to giving because I think our citizens recognize the needs around them and they understand where their gifts go and help out.”

As Eva Dillard, president of the Chattanooga United Way said, “Obviously, during the recession, we had some struggles but Chattanooga has always been known for its philanthropy. Even people that don’t have a lot of money here are willing to give what they can to help others who have less or are in some need. We’ve found as we grow the engagement of people with our work, our giving goes up.”

In general, the highest share of income is donated in Utah and in the South. The least charitable states were New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The Chronicle report, that looked at IRS returns, found that Americans who earn $200,000 or more actually reduced their giving by 4.6% from 2006 to 2012. Those earning less than $100,000, however, increased their charitable giving by 4.5% in the same period.

If you love ping pong, then this just might be the event for you. Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen will be hosting the 2nd annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose celebrity charity even on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Donations will benefit the Kershaw’s Challenge, a non-profit that works with at-risk communities in Los Angeles, Dallas and Zambia.

The event includes a single elimination ping pong tournament with a silent auction and live entertainment by DJ Skee. The emcee will be Chris Harrison from ABC’s “Bachelor/Bachelorette” and Uberpong is the table tennis sponsor and the tournament manager for the event.

As Clayton Kershaw said, “We are excited to host our 2^nd Annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose event on the field at Dodger Stadium. Ellen and I are thrilled this event provides a way to combine our passion for making a difference in the lives of children with an activity that has become such a favorite of the Dodgers clubhouse. We’re looking forward to a great night for a great cause.”

Clayton was awarded the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award for his tireless charity work. He is the youngest recipient ever of the award which honors the player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions both on and off the field.

In Sioux City, one local fisherman is doing amazing things for those around him. Just this year he has managed to donate $300,000 to charities from his profits. James Haworth, the owner of the Tackle Industries, has given money to children’s causes and veterans outreach programs.

He originally started the company to add to their material possessions and to make money. But, when his daughter, Julia, who is now 8, was born with craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which a baby’s skull fuses before the brain is fully formed, he started to see things differently.

Seeing how many children were suffering, he decided that they needed to start to help others. So, in 2005 he started producing handmade fishing lures in his garage. And Tackle Industries was born.

He has given money to Gillette, the Ronald McDonald House, Take a Vet Fishing and Operation Muskie. Now, his mail-order company has 1200 products, where it started with 50.

“The more we give away now, it seems the more we get,” he said.