American Cancer Society Relay for Life
Brown & Brown employees are privileged to participate in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.
Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, the American Cancer Society continues to save lives.
Family Service of Central Indiana
Brown & Brown is a cheerful supporter of Family Service of Central Indiana.
Founded in 1835, Family Service of Central Indiana is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening families through professional help that families can afford.
Family Service offers professional counseling, education, and support that enables individuals to become better parents, spouses, caregivers, and money managers; and allows older and disabled adults to continue to live independently in their own homes.
Family Service tackles some of the toughest family troubles in our community that often lead to family breakdown: domestic violence, child abuse, exploitation and abandonment of the elderly, financial instability, and chemical dependency. Whether it is a rough spot in a marriage, the grip of an addiction, the challenges of raising children or caring for aging parents, our professional and compassionate staff at Family Service is there to help.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that has earned broad-based support for a unique approach to building communities and helping people achieve the dream of home ownership.
On Nov. 17, 2011, Brown & Brown of Indiana employees were invited by Westfield Companies to participate in a Habitat for Humanity project. They moved lumber, cleaned yards and laid sod for two deserving families. Pictured left to right: John Ekdahl (Westfield), Dawn Masker, Ruby Elf, Alyson Stahl, Dori Burton and Paul Rodriguez (Westfield).
Hannah's House
The need in our community to have a safe place for pregnant teens to live during their pregnancy was first recognized by staff from Women’s Care Center. The vision of a maternity home became a joint project of Bethel College, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend, Saint Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka, and Women’s Care Center. A Board of Directors was formed from the sponsoring agencies, a home near the hospital was secured, and staff were hired. In 1993, Mother Care Home opened its doors to serve unwed teen mothers who were facing crisis pregnancies.
The home was given the new name of Hannah’s House in 1995 to symbolize the Biblical character Hannah, who greatly desired to be a mother. Catholic Charities came on board at this time to provide financial support and fiscal management until September 2000 when Hannah’s House became an independent agency. In 1997, Gurley Leep Automotive Family joined in with the original sponsors to support our mission.
The reputation of Hannah’s House has grown from a shelter for pregnant teens to an outreach ministry that provides a safe home, emotional support and programming to assist pregnant women of all ages in “getting their lives together.” Hannah’s House is often filled to capacity; serving seven women and their unborn/newborn babies at any given time. Approximately 25-35 women live in the home annually.
At Hannah’s House, our commitment and passion to help those who choose life for their babies is a part of our daily life. This dedication inspires our staff and volunteers to instill hope in the women who seek our care.
Indianapolis Zoo - Race for Survival Chats
Brown & Brown of Indiana is pleased to present Cheetah Chat at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2011. At the exit to the Cheetah: The Race for Survival exhibit there's a small gathering area where keeper chats take place daily. The chats are a mixture of discussions about cheetahs, as well as the other animals that are part of their exhibit such as the yellow hornbill and the bat-eared foxes. There are also chats about the Kangal dogs that are being used in Africa to guard domestic life stock from cheetah predation, which makes killing the cheetahs unnecessary. Our own dogs, Solo and Ayla, demonstrate the abilities of these interesting canines. Join the cheetah keepers for these informative chats throughout the day!
Make A Wish - Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana Chapter
The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
Brown & Brown Insurance is a proud supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, Indiana Region.
Riley Hospital for Children
The Miracle Ride is an annual fundraising event for Riley Hospital for Children, a hospital that saves and/or positively affects the lives of Indiana’s sickest children. During the past 18 years, the Miracle Ride has raised over $3 million for Riley Hospital. The money raised has helped to fund many of Riley’s miracle making needs, such as the Pediatric Burn Unit, Pulmonology, Juvenile Diabetes, Child Life Services, The Cancer Unit, Autism Research and much, much more.
During the two-day event, The Miracle Ride brings in around 7,000 riders, mostly from Indiana. Three of those riders were our very own employees – Dori Burton, Kim Swan and Alyson Stahl. To assist in the fund raising efforts our office held an ice cream social with all proceeds going to this event. With the money raised from this ice cream social and from private donations we were able to make a contribution of $5,695 to Riley Children’s Hospital.
St. Mary's Child Center
St. Mary’s Child Center was formed in 1961 to serve the needs of young children who have “fallen through the cracks” of private and public social services.
Thousands of Indianapolis area children as young as three years old are at great risk. Too young to be helped by school systems, many of them live in dangerous environments of poverty, neglect, abuse, drugs, violence or worse. Their ability to learn, socialize and grow into typical happy children can be damaged by the severe stresses to which they are exposed.
St. Mary's Child Center believes every child deserves a childhood that allows the child to be successful in their early years, in school, and as adults. Through its programs, St. Mary’s Child Center – in partnership with the family – enables children to reach their potential. The St. Mary’s Child Center experience gives these children a positive educational and emotional environment, which can begin to normalize their lives and help them learn alongside other children their age.
St. Mary’s Child Center is a not-for profit education center, headed by an Executive Director who works closely with a Board of Directors. The Board provides business and policy direction to the agency and is responsible for raising revenue to provide financial support.
St. Mary’s Child Center receives its funding from private donations, corporations, grants and program fees. One-hundred percent of St. Mary’s Child Center proceeds go directly into day-to-day operations.
Every member of St. Mary’s Child Center education center – from full time staff to volunteers to “Godparent” supporters – is passionately committed to the cause of giving the young children they serve a fighting chance in life… because they think society cannot afford to ignore the needs of even a single child. No child has ever been denied services at St. Mary’s Child Center for financial reasons.Begin…before the inevitable happens. Make a difference. Choose to help these young at-risk children. Become involved in some way with St. Mary’s Child Center.
