IIDA’s Providence City Center hosted its 5th Annual Holiday Gala on December 6, 2007. In the spirit of the season, all came out to enjoy an evening of socializing and networking while supporting their local community. As in past years, The City Center organized a “Gifts for Kids” program, this year benefiting NEARI’s ‘Gingerbread Express’, an organization that connects a needy child with a charitable adult. Gala attendees sign up to donate toys, clothes or other items to a specific child. This year’s numbers almost surpassed 2006’s record breaking number of 125 gifts received for donation! 

Starting in 2006, Providence City Center, building on its community’s willingness to give, determined that all raffle proceeds would be donated to a local charity. Last year the event benefited the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.  This year, the beneficiary was The Autism Project of Rhode Island.  The event’s raffle had unprecedented proceeds totaling $2000.  In addition to this amount, an actively involved IIDA member, Peg Ashton, wanted to take it a step further.  Peg, who works for RJF International/Koroseal asked her employer to get involved.  She requested a grant in the amount of $5000 from RJF’s philanthropic arm, the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation.  The grant was approved and the Providence City Center in conjunction with RJF has exceeded all expectations and was able to raise a total of $7000 for the cause. We would like to thank everyone who participated in making this years event a huge success; and an especially a big thank you to Peg Ashton and RJF International!