Boston (November 16, 2005) - Six non-profit organizations serving Boston neighborhoods will join together to raise funds for their organizations by hosting the second annual Community Gems event on Saturday, December 3 at the UMass Boston Campus Center Ballroom from 6 to 10 p.m. The fun-filled evening will include music, entertainment, food and dancing for every member of the family.
Tickets are available to the public. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, contact the United Homes for Children at 617-445-6655, ext. 530 or visit www.communitygems.org.
This year's theme is A Celebration of Our Youth, Our Families, Our Legacy. All proceeds from ticket sales and corporate sponsorships will benefit the six non-profits. Last year's collaborative event raised $160,800, with each Community Gem receiving $26,800 to support their respective programs and services. This year's goal is to surpass that amount by raising $200,000 to be divided equally among the six agencies.
Collectively, these organizations serve more than 19,000 residents of Boston at every stage of life, from planning a family to senior services; offer 76 programs; and bring $20 million in revenue to their communities.
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Vice Chairman Robert M. Mahoney of Citizens Financial Group, and State Sen. Diane Wilkerson are co-chairs of the event. Major sponsors include: MasterCard; Bingham McCutchen; Hill Holliday Connors; Mellon New England; Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.; and Citizens Bank.
"These six organizations are priceless gems to the residents of the communities in which they serve," said Vice Chairman Robert M. Mahoney of Citizens Financial Group. "Once again, Citizens is delighted to lend its support to this event, which assists so many worthwhile agencies that help people young and old with a variety of needs. This collaborative fundraising model is an innovative way for smaller non-profit groups to join together to raise money and awareness for their programs."
"Community Gems is a shining example of community-based organizations with a shared vision entering true partnership," said State Rep. Marie St. Fleur. "They realized the simple goal of increasing available resources to promote mutual social service and social justice agendas. Community Gems signals the future of cooperative fundraising by community-based organizations."
Citizens Bank of Massachusetts is a $34 billion bank with 262 branches and 624 ATMs stretching from greater Boston to Cape Cod and the Berkshires. It is headquartered at 28 State Street in Boston. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $148 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,100 ATMs and more than 27,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and non-branch offices in more than 30 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).