Six Local Philanthropists and Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning Honored at Annual Lunch

Rochester Area Community Foundation honored six philanthropists and the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning at its 2010 Philanthropy Awards and Annual Report to the Community Luncheon on September 22.

More than 500 guests were on hand at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center to pay tribute to the six honorees — Mark and Kathy Cleary, Mark and Bobbie Hargrave and Nannette Nocon. TC Lewis received the Joe U. Posner Award, the Community Foundation’s highest honor. These Philanthropy Award recipients have made outstanding contributions to the greater Rochester region through their giving.

The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning received the Ames-Amzalak Award for Nonprofit Excellence, an honor that included a $10,000 unrestricted grant for the coalition to use as its members see fit.

During the sold-out luncheon, Jennifer Leonard, president and executive director of the Community Foundation, shared details of the organization’s activities of the past year and the impact of the more than $17.1 million in grants awarded last year.

“Philanthropy has long been seen as a solo act, but we can’t afford that any more,” Leonard said, reinforcing the notion that working together is how our community can successfully create positive change.

Jill M. Cicero, chair of the Community Foundation board of directors, provided an overview of the Community’s Foundation’s fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2010. The total amount of assets jumped 26.5 percent — to $208 million — from March 2009, which was just about when the stock market decline was at its lowest point. The Foundation’s permanent endowment for the future, which also was affected by the economic downturn last year, rebounded to reach $151 million — a $41 million increase. (For more information on our previous two years, please review our 2010 Biennial Report.)

The 2010 Philanthropy Award recipients were introduced by members of the Community Foundation board and each received a special cup designed by Scottsville artist Wendell Castle. The honorees and their accomplishments were:

Mark and Kathy Cleary. This Rochester couple was honored for their generous support of the community and several organizations. Kathy is a former member of the Community Foundation’s board and now serves on the boards of Writers & Books, the Memorial Art Gallery and Building Minds of the Sudan. Mark, owner of City Blue Imaging, is vice president of The Little Theatre Film Society and a member of the St. Anne’s Foundation board and the East Avenue Business Association.  Hear Kathy talk about how they have encouraged their sons to give back to the community and  Mark shares how his parents and grandparents set an example for him.  

Mark and Bobbie Hargrave. These champions of the hard of hearing from Pittsford have been instrumental in the installation of audio loops, FM and infrared technologies at various entertainment venues in the area. Bobbie has served on the boards of Hillside Family of Agencies, The Friendly Home, Linden Knolls, Hearing Loss Association of America’s  Rochester chapter (HLAA) and the womens’ councils of Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Museum & Science Center.  Mark, a retiree of Eastman Kodak Company, helped to form Self Help for the Hard of Hearing, now called HLAA, and served on the boards of the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center and the Boy Scouts.

Nannette Nocon. This Rochester resident has been a major supporter of many arts- and education-related organizations. She recently published an illustrative book about negative and positive choices called What’s UP with Yuk? and, for every book sold, she is donating a book to a needy child. A former Community Foundation board member, this Ameriprise financial planner is on the board of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and previously served on the boards of Geva Theatre Center and The Little Theatre.  Hear from Nannette on why she is inspired to give.

TC Lewis. The 2010 recipient of the Joe U. Posner Founders Award was recognized for his extensive and long-term community involvement and for his ties with the Community Foundation. In addition to referring clients to the Foundation, this retired banker from Perinton served as an early volunteer treasurer for the Foundation and later on its board of directors. He is very active on the Perinton Town Planning Board, Bushnell’s Basin Fire Department, Fairport Baptist Homes and Hillside Family of Agencies.  Hear TC discuss why giving and the Community Foundation are important.

Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning. Founded in  2000, this group has successfully reduced childhood lead poisoning cases in Monroe County from 1,698 in 1999 to 283 last year. The coalition members, nearly 100 community organizations and individuals, are most proud of the adoption of Rochester’s innovative lead abatement law and were honored as one of five recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 Environmental Justice Achievement  Award.