MITER raises over $4 million for charity
The MITER Foundation, the charitable arm of MITER Brands hosted its annual two-part golf outing in late September and early October.
Held in Hershey, Pennsylvania., and Prescott, Arizona, the two events raised a record $4-plus million combined for charities that include Children’s Flight of Hope. MITER Brands is one of the largest producers of precision-built, energy-efficient windows and doors for new construction and replacement, through its MI and Milgard brands.
The 25th annual golf outing began in Hershey at the Hershey Lodge on Tuesday, Sept. 26, where the MITER Foundation held a dinner and charitable auction with MITER Brands’ suppliers. In addition to presentations by MITER Brands CEO Matt DeSoto and MITER Foundation Specialist Gwen Mallon, the evening featured speeches from a few of the MITER Foundation’s beneficiaries, including Pat Nelli, President and CEO of Children’s Flight of Hope, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that coordinates free flights for children who need specialized medical care.
“I am blown away by this event,” said Nelli. “Thank you for inviting Children’s Flight of Hope to be part of your philanthropic community… I can’t think of a greater purpose than taking care of our children.”
“People want to be associated with a company that gives back,” MITER Brands founder Pete DeSoto said in a video clip played during the event. “It’s important to our team members, it’s important to our customers, and it’s important to our suppliers.”
After a day on the course with its suppliers, MITER Brands team members returned to the Hershey Lodge on Sept. 27 for another dinner and auction, this time with customers. That group then golfed at the Hershey Country Club on Thursday. Between the two contingents, the MITER Foundation hosted nearly 500 guests in Hershey.
“Our golf outings are the largest fundraisers for the MITER Foundation,” said Anthony Kassab, the Executive Chair of the MITER Foundation. “But it isn’t just about how much we raise. It’s also about the correlation between the funds raised and the support we provide various people and organizations who are in need.”
The West Coast portion of the golf outing, now in its third year, took place Oct. 2-3 in Prescott, Arizona. The dinner and auction were held at the Sam Hill Warehouse, where approximately 160 guests – most of them customers or suppliers – heard testimonials from MITER Foundation recipients. Debbie Stantus, director at Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, was one of the speakers.
“I’ve had the honor of working with the MITER team for the duration of our partnership the past five years,” Stantus said. “It is about much more than just your generous support. The MITER team has volunteered countless hours over the past five years."
